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Mired in scandal, Brewers hope trip to Coors Field provides respite

Totally not what you think it is.

By Bryan Kilpatrick
USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers were dealt a blow earlier in the week, aside from their series loss to the National League West division's last-place team, and must now carry on with the weight of a drug scandal on their shoulders, in addition to the pain they were already feeling after falling 21 games out of first place in the NL Central.

Following an investigation that dragged on for several months, MLB wielded its hammer upon the Brewers, changing the course of the team's immediate future and casting a sea of questions around the organization that will persist long after the completion of its miserable 2013 campaign.

And, it's all because of Yuniesky Betancourt.

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The 31-year-old veteran allegedly tested positive for performance-reducing drugs prior to the start of the season and, after months of behind-the-scenes negotiating with the commissioner's office, will be ordered to continue playing for an undetermined period of time.

Some players that should replace Yuniesky Betancourt

 Because when they say "You know, it could be worse," they're talking about Yuniesky Betancourt.

In his ninth big-league season, Betancourt is hitting .209/.237/.353 while, for some reason, playing first base and left field, among other positions. Betancourt has long been rumored to have been taking PRD's over the course of his lengthy career, during which he has posted a lifetime on-base percentage of .286 in 4,160 plate appearances.

The Brewers have declined to comment to anybody ever on the situation, although Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan has reported that HE KNOWS FOR SURE that Betancourt's teammates and coaches are none-too-thrilled with MLB's decision.

Regardless, the Brew Crew must continue to push forward.

They didn't do that at home against the San Diego Padres after the BIG NEWS was announced, though the team trounced the Miami Marlins in a weekend series, and we all know what they went on to do at Coors Field in their next slate of games.

That, alone, should give the Brewers hope this weekend in Denver. Tough times certainly lie ahead, but with Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura in the field and Bob Uecker in the booth, how tough can it really be?

We may find out soon, as word is starting to circulate around the baseball community that Brewers starting pitcher Tom Gorzelanny might be on the hook for a positive face-enhancing drug test. Also, Donovan Hand. He didn't really do anything, just ... DONOVAN HAND, y'know?

For more on Betancourt, Gorzelanny, Hand and the Brewers, head over to the excellent Brew Crew Ball.

*****

Probable pitchers

Game 1: Friday, July 26 at 6:40 p.m. MT (ROOT Sports)

Wily Peralta (7-9, 4.30 ERA) vs. Tyler Chatwood (6-3, 2.48 ERA)

Game 2: Saturday, July 27 at 6:10 p.m. MT (ROOT Sports)

Tom Gorzelanny (1-4, 2.47) vs. Collin McHugh (5-3, 2.70 ERA)*

Game 3: Sunday, July 28 at 2:10 p.m. MT (ROOT Sports)

Donovan Hand (0-2, 3.41) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (9-5, 3.53)

* - Minor league stats

*****

Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB CS AVG OBP SLG
Jean Segura 99 402 56 126 12 8 11 38 17 53 30 5 .313 .349 .465
Carlos Gomez 94 355 54 107 22 9 16 49 18 92 22 4 .301 .345 .549
Ryan Braun 61 225 30 67 14 2 9 38 27 56 4 5 .298 .372 .498
Norichika Aoki 95 381 52 112 14 1 5 21 33 21 13 10 .294 .362 .375
Jonathan Lucroy 87 305 29 87 12 4 14 55 21 38 3 1 .285 .333 .489
Alfredo Figaro 22 11 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 0 .273 .273 .273
Aramis Ramirez 54 181 21 49 11 0 5 26 23 38 0 1 .271 .359 .414
Marco Estrada 12 19 0 5 1 0 0 2 0 8 0 0 .263 .263 .316
Yovani Gallardo 24 40 4 10 2 0 2 3 0 21 0 0 .250 .250 .450
Caleb Gindl 17 36 3 9 2 0 1 4 6 4 2 0 .250 .357 .389
Jeff Bianchi 51 108 8 26 4 1 0 7 3 24 2 1 .241 .268 .296
Juan Francisco 40 126 16 29 2 1 7 17 12 43 0 0 .230 .303 .429
Logan Schafer 87 196 20 45 13 2 2 19 12 36 4 0 .230 .284 .347
Khris Davis 17 18 3 4 2 0 1 1 2 9 2 0 .222 .333 .500
Scooter Gennett 17 42 4 9 1 1 1 5 2 7 0 0 .214 .250 .357
Rickie Weeks 92 304 37 65 14 1 10 22 39 95 7 3 .214 .319 .365
Yuniesky Betancourt 89 278 22 58 8 1 10 35 10 49 0 0 .209 .237 .353
Sean Halton 19 45 3 9 2 0 1 2 1 13 0 0 .200 .217 .311
Donovan Hand 16 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 .200 .333 .200
Martin Maldonado 46 134 10 24 6 1 3 16 8 40 0 0 .179 .241 .306
Alex Gonzalez 41 113 14 20 3 0 1 8 3 26 0 0 .177 .203 .230
Kyle Lohse 22 39 2 6 0 0 0 2 1 21 0 0 .154 .175 .154
Wily Peralta 21 35 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 15 0 0 .143 .167 .143
Blake Lalli 16 24 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 7 0 0 .125 .125 .125
Hiram Burgos 6 8 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 .125 .125 .125
Josh Prince 8 8 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 .125 .222 .250
Tom Gorzelanny 36 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 .100 .100 .100
Tyler Thornburg 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Mike Fiers 11 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Johnny Hellweg 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Burke Badenhop 45 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000 .000
John Axford 49 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Brandon Kintzler 40 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Michael Gonzalez 51 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Chris Narveson 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Jim Henderson 39 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000
Francisco Rodriguez 25 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000

Pitching

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP
Chris Narveson 0-0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 1.00
Francisco Rodriguez 1-1 25 0 0 0 10 0 24.2 17 3 3 2 9 26 1.09 1.05
Jim Henderson 3-3 39 0 0 0 11 3 37.2 27 9 9 2 15 42 2.15 1.12
Tom Gorzelanny 1-4 36 4 0 0 0 1 58.1 41 20 16 6 23 56 2.47 1.10
Tyler Thornburg 1-0 6 0 0 0 0 0 18.1 17 6 6 1 5 11 2.95 1.20
Brandon Kintzler 2-0 40 0 0 0 0 0 44.1 32 15 15 2 12 39 3.05 .99
Kyle Lohse 7-7 22 21 0 0 0 0 128.1 125 50 48 20 19 82 3.37 1.12
John Axford 4-3 49 0 0 0 0 4 42.2 42 17 16 6 17 43 3.38 1.38
Donovan Hand 0-2 16 4 0 0 0 0 37.0 39 15 14 3 9 20 3.41 1.30
Michael Gonzalez 0-3 51 0 0 0 0 3 35.1 36 15 15 5 17 43 3.82 1.50
Burke Badenhop 1-3 45 0 0 0 1 1 43.0 40 24 19 4 10 31 3.98 1.16
Wily Peralta 7-9 21 21 1 1 0 0 121.1 126 71 58 11 47 77 4.30 1.43
Alfredo Figaro 1-2 22 5 0 0 0 0 56.2 62 32 28 13 12 46 4.45 1.31
Yovani Gallardo 8-9 24 22 0 0 0 0 123.2 133 74 67 13 48 100 4.88 1.46
Marco Estrada 4-4 12 12 0 0 0 0 69.1 76 42 41 14 18 62 5.32 1.36
Hiram Burgos 1-2 6 6 0 0 0 0 29.1 38 23 21 5 11 18 6.44 1.67
Mike Fiers 1-4 11 3 0 0 0 0 22.1 28 20 18 8 6 15 7.25 1.52
Johnny Hellweg 0-3 4 3 0 0 0 0 10.2 19 20 13 0 13 3 10.97 3.00

Milwaukee Brewers Injuries

15-Day

Player Injury Type Injury Date
Marco Estrada hamstring 06/04/2013
Aramis Ramirez knee 07/07/2013

60 Day DL / Out for the season

Player Injury Type Injury Date
Corey Hart knee 03/22/2013
Mat Gamel knee 03/20/2013
Taylor Green hip 03/22/2013
Mark Rogers shoulder 03/25/2013

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