"Earlier in the day, manager Ken Macha asked aloud the question many in Brewer Nation were posing Wednesday regarding closer Trevor Hoffman.

"How much rope is he going to get?" Macha said to reporters, rhetorically for the most part.

Asked to answer his own question, Macha replied, "I don't know the answer to that."

Questions swirled about Hoffman after he blew his third save in six chances Tuesday night against Pittsburgh, allowing five runs on two homers to squander a 3-2 lead. Concern grew greater when he blew another save in the series finale, frittering away a 4-3 advantage on yet another home run.

All Macha would commit to in terms of closing games was that he'd probably give Hoffman the night off Thursday in San Diego if there's a save situation in the ninth inning.

"If we have a chance to win (Thursday), perhaps it will be somebody else at the end," he said.

Beyond the four blown saves in seven chances, six homers allowed in nine innings, 13.00 earned run average and .357 opponents' batting average, Hoffman raised eyebrows by abandoning his trademark changeup Tuesday night. Excluding an intentional walk, he threw 20 pitches and only three were changeups.

Hoffman's fastball is below average, in the 83-86 mph range, and he has been making mistakes with it right down the middle, with predictable results. Yet, Hoffman said he was trying to establish that fastball early in counts, though obviously with better location."