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General manager Doug Melvin and his staff will meet with managerNed Yost and his staff Monday to discuss the Milwaukee Brewers'personnel and what might be done to improve the club.
Yost said that doesn't necessarily mean changes will come out ofthat meeting.
"It's not like a secret, emergency meeting," Yost said. "We dothat over the course of the year. We scheduled it before (the recentsix-game losing streak).
"What Doug does is review us at the end of the year. In ourmeeting last year, we talked about having a monthly meeting to goover personnel."
Yost said a large part of the scrutiny will be directed towardthree spots in the starting rotation, held by Dave Bush (0-4, 6.98earned-run average), Carlos Villanueva (1-4, 6.46) and Manny Parra(1-2, 5.79). Villanueva and Parra won their first starts of theseason, but none of the three has posted a victory since.
"The back half of the rotation is important," Yost said. "In ourstarting rotation, if you take Benny (Ben Sheets) out of it, the ERAis over 6.00.
"We need to get that ironed out, one way or another. We need toget some of those numbers knocked down and be a little moreconsistent."
After allowing three runs in the first two innings Friday night,Parra settled down and pitched three scoreless frames. That rebounddid not get him completely out of the woods, but Yost said therewere no plans to remove Parra from the rotation at this time.
"We'll discuss it, but I think he'll stay in," Yost said."Nothing's for certain. He's still under review. He had a nice threeinnings, but still. . . the production numbers aren't what we want."
Closing time: St. Louis manager Tony La Russa announced beforethe game he would be reassigning closer Jason Isringhausen to a lessstressful role for the time being. Isringhausen was leading theleague with 11 saves but paved the way for the change by suggestingit was time for one after surrendering two ninth-inning runs Fridaythat allowed the Brewers to pull out a 4-3 victory.
"It's just a change of scenery, so we're going to try that forawhile," La Russa said.
Beyond being 11 for 16 in save opportunities, Isringhausen has a7.47 ERA and has allowed 19 hits and eight walks in 15 2/3 innings,with only 11 strikeouts.
The Brewers then went out and watched their closer, Eric Gagne,surrender two ninth-inning runs to allow St. Louis to take a 5-3victory Saturday. It wasn't blown save No. 6 for Gagne, but the endresult was the same, leaving him with a 6.89 ERA.
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