Milwaukee Brewers Take Opener From Dodgers In Battle Of Division Leaders
By Phil Watson
The Milwaukee Brewers piled up seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings, coming back from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in a battle of National League division leaders Friday night at Miller Park.
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The Dodgers (66-51), using their third shortstop of the game after Hanley Ramirez left in the first inning with soreness in his side, were hurt by three botched plays by Justin Turner at the position—one ruled a hit and a pair of errors, as Milwaukee (64-52) scored four runs in the seventh to reclaim the lead after L.A. had forged ahead with two runs in the top of the inning.
The Dodgers trailed 2-1 heading into the seventh when manager Ron Roenicke went out and got starter Kyle Lohse before the start of the inning. Rob Wooten came in and gave up a single to Turner, pinch-hitting for starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez.
Zach Duke was summoned from the pen and he gave up a fielder’s choice to Dee Gordon, who went to second on a wild pitch. Duke then walked Yasiel Puig and gave up an RBI single to Adrian Gonzalez.
Jeremy Jeffress (1-1) became the Crew’s third pitcher of the inning and he gave up an infield single to pinch-hitter Andre Ethier that scored Puig to put the Dodgers up 3-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, Turner made a terrific diving catch of a liner by Aramis Ramirez before the inning turned on him, quickly.
Rickie Weeks, batting for Scooter Gennett against lefty reliever J.P. Howell, worked a walk. Mark Reynolds, batting for Lyle Overbay, had to face right-hander Brandon League (2-3) after a pitching change and hit what looked to be an inning-ending double-play ball to short. But the ball skipped past Turner into center field for a hit, moving Weeks to third.
Martin Maldonado dropped down a bunt on a safety squeeze that scored Weeks to tie the game.
After a fly out, pinch-hitter Khris Davis reached on an error by Turner.
The Brewers then took the lead when Turner’s throw on a Carlos Gomez grounder was in the dirt for another error, allowing Reynolds to score. Gerardo Parra lined a single up the middle that scored Maldonado and Davis, with Gomez nailed at third when catcher Drew Butera alertly fielded the throw from Puig and fired to Juan Uribe for the tag.
Right-hander Carlos Frias entered for the Dodgers to start the eighth and walked Ryan Braun and gave ip a single to Ramirez before Weeks buried his fourth homer of the season on a liner to left-center to put Milwaukee up 9-3.
The Brewers touched up Hernandez, making his debut for the Dodgers after being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, for a pair of runs in the first inning. Parra singled and went to third on a double by Braun. Ramirez grounded a single to left to score Parra and Gennett’s sacrifice fly to center brought home Braun.
The Dodgers made it 2-1 on Gonzalez’s solo homer off Milwaukee starter Kyle Lohse in the top of the sixth.
Lohse battled through six innings, allowing a run on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Wooten was charged with a run after the one hitter he faced scored and Duke gave up a run on a hit and a walk while retiring one batter.
Jeffress allowed a hit before getting the final two outs of the seventh. Will Smith worked a perfect eighth with a strikeout and Brandon Kintzler needed only eight pitches to get through a 1-2-3 ninth.
Hernandez, who beat the Brewers last month while with the Phillies, shut them down after the rocky first inning on Friday, retiring the final 16 hitters he faced while allowing only three hits in six innings, fanning five.
Jonathan Lucroy did not play for the Brewers after he tweaked his hamstring on Thursday and shortstop Jean Segura rested his sore left quad.
The Brewers gained a game on the St. Louis Cardinals with the win after St. Louis was belted 12-2 by the Baltimore Orioles, falling into third place in the National League Central, two games behind Milwaukee. The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Diego Padres to remain 1 ½ games back and moved into second place in the division.
Parra and Ramirez were each 2-for-4 for the Brewers, who had seven hits. Gonzalez was 3-for-3 with a double and a homer for L.A.
Mike Fiers (0-1, 2.57 ERA) makes his first start in more than a year for the Brewers on Saturday for their 6:10 p.m. matchup with the Dodgers. He’ll face right-hander and former Brewer Zach Greinke (12-7, 2.71).