Brewers get back-to-back wins … finally
By Phil Watson
The Milwaukee Brewers needed a franchise-record 25 games to finally start a winning streak in 2015.
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They got there with a 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field Sunday afternoon, as Aramis Ramirez hit a solo home run in the second and then broke a tie with a broken-bat single that drove in two runs in the eighth inning for the victory.
Ramirez, who played for the Cubs from 2003-11 before signing with the Brewers as a free agent, gave the Crew a 1-0 lead in the second with his third homer of the year, a blast to center field off Chicago starter Jason Hammel.
Hammel tied it himself in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly before Milwaukee (7-18) reclaimed the edge in the third.
Starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson lined a one-out double to left and came around to score on Carlos Gomez’s single to right field.
Gomez moved to third when catcher Miguel Montero missed the throw home in an attempt to get Nelson, but the rally ended there.
Adam Lind then led off the fourth with a double to right field and moved up to third on a fly out by Ramirez. Khris Davis followed with a fly ball to center deep enough to score Lind to give the Brewers a 3-1 lead.
Nelson, who battled through 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts, surrendered the lead in the fifth.
Anthony Rizzo had an RBI triple and scored on Kris Bryant’s double.
Nelson didn’t have his best stuff, but still bounced back from a rough outing in Cincinnati with a quality start.
“I was just doing my best to try to get back to the way I was my first three starts,” Nelson told MLB.com. “It’s not going to be easy every time out. It was a struggle (Sunday). It was a battle.”
The game remained tied until the eighth.
Gerardo Parra lined a double to left off reliever Pedro Strop, who had just entered the game, and Gomez reached on a bunt single to put runners at the corners.
Strop then beaned Jean Segura to load the bases. Segura, who was also hit in the head by Colorado Rockies’ right-hander Jordan Lyles on April 7, left the game for pinch-runner Hector Gomez, but said after the game he was feeling “pretty good,” according to manager Ron Roenicke, via MLB.com.
However, Segura remained in Chicago for further tests while the rest of the club took the bus back to Milwaukee.
Strop almost got out of it, getting Ryan Braun to ground into a double play that left runners at second and third. After intentionally walking Lind, Ramirez muscled a broken-bat flare to left field that dropped in front of Chris Coghlan to score two runs.
It was the first runs allowed all season by Strop (0-1).
Jonathan Broxton allowed a hit and fanned two in the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez gave up a hit and struck out one in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.
May 3, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez (27) celebrates with second baseman Hector Gomez (5) after scoring against the Chicago Cubs in the eight inning at Wrigley Field. The Brewers won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Left-hander Will Smith (1-0) struck out the only batter he faced in the seventh and got the victory.
After taking two of three from the Cubs (13-10), Milwaukee also had its first series victory of the year.
Ramirez was 2-for-3 with three RBI on the day, improving his average to .233.
He had no problem with Cubs manager Joe Maddon walking Lind in front of him.
“That’s the right move,” Ramirez told MLB.com. “I mean, Lind has been hot all year. The guy is hitting over .300, I’m hitting .220. That’s a no-brainer. … It was the right move, it just didn’t work out.”
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Hammel took a no-decision after allowing three runs in six innings for Chicago and remained undefeated against Milwaukee in his career.
Elian Herrera started at second base and was 2-for-4 for the Brewers, while Carlos Gomez—in his second day back from a hamstring injury, was 2-for-5.
The Brewers return home Monday to open a 10-game homestand at Miller Park, playing the first of four games against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 6:20 p.m.
Right-hander Kyle Lohse (1-4, 7.28 ERA) starts for Milwaukee, with left-hander Clayton Kershaw (1-2, 3.73)—the reigning National League MVP and two-time defending Cy Young winner—slated to go for the Dodgers.
Lohse is 2-4 lifetime against Los Angeles, with a 4.35 ERA in 12 appearances, including 10 starts. Kershaw has started against the Brewers 10 times, going 5-4 with a 3.05 ERA.