Can Shaun Marcum save the season?

FEAST MODE. That's how opposing teams have felt when facing Milwaukee righty Shaun Marcum lately. Now the Brew Crew turns to Marcum in a in a do-or-die Game 6 of the NLCS.


In his past six starts, the Missouri native posted an 8.18 ERA and gave up some memorable homers to Paul Goldschmidt (a granny) and Albert Pujols.


Today at Miller Park, reporters pressed Marcum for his thoughts about his struggles. They questioned his confidence. He didn't crack.


"I feel great, actually. My arm feels good, body feels good. Just a matter of going out there, keeping the ball down, throwing strikes and trying to get ahead of these hitters," said Marcum, a former Blue Jays starter. "Being in the American League East, I was used to getting beat up every now and again ... Confidence is still as high as it's ever been. It's just a matter of going out there and making pitches and locating them and trying to get some outs."


One more interesting note: Ryan Braun has 22 all-time hits in the postseason, tying him with Robin Yount for the club record.

NLCS Game 5: Fear the Squirrel

ST. LOUIS -- WEIRD, WACKY things happened at Busch Stadium for NLCS Games 3, 4 and 5. Towering fly balls down the line that were supposed to curl foul (hello, Matt Holliday) stayed fair.
Milwaukee's running game was zapped to a halt, and its defense was atrocious in Game 5 as the Cardinals smoked the Brew Crew, 7-1, before a red sea of 46,904 fans.


Edwin Jackson takes the ball for Game 6 in Milwaukee as the Cards go for their 18th National League pennant. Former New Hampshire Fisher Cats starter Shaun Marcum goes to the bump for Milwaukee.


How about Marc Rzepczynski? The St. Louis reliever once again silenced Prince Fielder as the Brewers rallied in the eighth inning. Big Prince is has gone 0-for-4 with 4 Ks against Zep, who I caught up with at Busch.


Matt Holliday went 3-for-5 and is batting .444 in the NLCS.  "We kept getting runners out there and eventually break through," he said.


Love the rally towels and T-shirts in St. Louis and the squirrel tails dangling from fans' hats. Might've even seen the Snorg T-shirt girl.

NLCS Game 4: T-Plush makes a splash

ST. LOUIS -- They booed him. He beat them. Milwaukee outfielder Nyjer Morgan was back in the lineup for Game 4, and pesky "Tony Plush" had two hits and scored the go-ahead run in the fifth. Brew Crew wins, 4-2, behind Randy Wolf's seven strong innings at Busch Stadium.


The best-of-seven series is knotted at 2-apiece, meaning the NLCS will return to Milwaukee. 


For once, the Cardinals didn't score in the first inning, but they did take a 2-0 lead, thanks in part to Matt Holliday's solo cheapie to RF in the second inning. 


Ryan Braun singled home T-Dot in the fifth -- and the Brew Crew was back in Beast Mode.


Morgan was not available for comment after the game, saying, "No dice" to reporters.


The Ax Man closed it out in the ninth, despite allowing a single by pinch-hitter Lance Berkman. 

Shaun Marcum on T-Plush: "He's a mess."

ST. LOUIS -- So now I'm funding my NLCS trip with gambling winnings from last night. Bumped into Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo at the craps table, and the 17-game winner won me 50 bucks by rolling a hard 10!


Great interview with Shaun Marcum today. On playing for the Brewers: 


"There’s nothing wrong with Toronto. This is just a great baseball city. Milwaukee and St. Louis treat baseball like Canadians treat hockey. It’s a lot of fun be out there every home game with 40,000 fans supporting you," said Marcum, scheduled to pitch a potential Game 6 on Sunday. 


We talked a lot about the Red Sox, a hot topic these days, and Marcum said there is nothing shocking about Boston starters watching team games from the clubhouse. But the beer?


"Starting pitchers like to go inside, even when I was in Toronto. You can see pitches better when you’re watching it on TV. You can read the swings a lot better watching than you can in the dugout. Whether they’re drinking or not, I don’t know, That’s their choice."


Marcum is under contract for one more year with the Brewers before reaching free agency.

"I’d love to stay in Milwaukee. Whether I go to free agency or not, Milwaukee is where I want to be right now," he said.

And, naturally, we needed a sound bite about Nyjer Morgan.

“Oh, he’s a mess – in a good way. He’s a lot fun," Marcum said. "

"He’s definitely misunderstood. Some people feel like they have to do that to have an edge. He's the kind of guy you definitely want on your team with the way he brings energy."

Breaking: NH's Ben Cherington the next Red Sox GM

IT'S A NATURAL. Really, the Red Sox had to stay in-house and hire Ben Cherington as the next general manager of the Boston Red Sox. This team, more than anything, needs stability right now, someone familiar with operations yet a strong, new voice with fresh ideas. That someone is Ben Cherington, a Lebanon (N.H.) High graduate and Plainfield native.