Oct 5, 2008 - 6:52 PM
0 shoutsBy David Cotey PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
When the Milwaukee Brewers signed Jeff Suppan to a lucrative free-agent contract in December, 2006, they did so with the hope that someday they could hand him the ball in a big game.
But when that opportunity finally came - in Game Four of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday - the numbers were stacked against him.
The veteran righthander allowed five runs on six hits - including three home runs - in three innings and took the loss as the Phillies won the best-of-five series, three games to one, with a 6-2 victory at Miller Park.
"They're a very good team and they did a very good job in this series," Suppan said. "Today it came down to one game and, for me, I felt good about it. I felt we had a good game plan but unfortunately they got a crooked number mixed in with some other home runs.
Suppan's choice as the Game Four starter was curious for a number of reasons.
Six of the Phillies' starters entered Sunday's game batting .300 or better against him, including Pat Burrell, who was 9-for-21 (.429) with three home runs and eight RBIs lifetime against the Brewers' veteran.
"With Pat, he's hit me pretty decent and has done some damage," Suppan said. "I still think if I would have located my pitches the results would have been different."
Burrell entered the game Sunday in an 0-for-12 postseason slump, but broke out of it with a single in the second inning and a three-run home run in the third, both off Suppan.
"I wasn't sure if I was going to be in there today because I hadn't been helping," Burrell said. "It's a team thing and ultimately you have to go with who's hot and I hadn't been performing. Fortunately for me and the team I was able to be in there today and contribute, and that's what's most important."
The 34-year-old Suppan has struggled mightily in his career against the Phillies. In 12 previous starts, Suppan was 3-6 with a 6.13 ERA, including 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA in two starts this season.
"He's a location guy that tries to hit his spots and keep us off balance," Phillies second baseman Chase Utley said. "I thought we did a really good job within the game of working the counts a little bit and trying to make him make mistakes. He didn't make too many, but Pat got one and it was huge."
Suppan entered the playoffs on a personal slide, ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak. He allowed four or more earned runs in five of his last six and managed to pitch into the sixth inning only twice during that stretch.
One factor that likely played a role in Brewers interim manager Dale Sveum's decision to go with Suppan over youngsters Yovani Gallardo, Seth McClung and Manny Parra was Suppan's big-game experience.
The righthander was the Most Valuable Player of the 2006 National League Championship Series while a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, and was 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 54 career postseason innings prior to Sunday.
"I don't think there was any question of him starting today," Sveum said. "He got the rest he usually does, and if one pitch is different, he's out of the (third) inning and it might be a different ballgame. Obviously, you'd like to have that pitch back, but there was never a doubt that he was going to our fourth-game starter."
