Brewers: Mike Fiers, Francisco Rodriguez pitch Crew past Mets
By Phil Watson
The Milwaukee Brewers opened a six-game homestand the right way Tuesday night, taking advantage of a New York Mets fielding blunder to take a 3-2 victory, just their second win in their last 10 games.
The Brewers took the lead in the seventh inning when Mets left fielder Michael Cuddyer misplayed Adam Lind’s double, allowing Carlos Gomez to score all the way from first.
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For Francisco Rodriguez, the subject of recent trade rumors, he recorded his 14th save in as many chances, striking out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to record his ninth consecutive scoreless outing and lower his ERA to a microscopic 1.04.
But the rumors are unsettling for Rodriguez, who signed a two-year deal in March to return to Milwaukee, where he has pitched for most of the last five seasons.
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“I’d be disappointed if I get traded, because I signed two years plus [a club option] just to be here” K-Rod told MLB.com. “If I didn’t believe this ballclub would be better and compete in the future, I would have gone someplace else. …
“But definitely, [the possibility of a trade] is there. You have to think about it, unfortunately. But I’m not putting too much pressure on thinking about it because it is going to be bad if I do that.”
The Brewers (26-46) got six strong innings from starter Mike Fiers, who took a no-decision despite allowing only two runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Will Smith (3-0) got the win, retiring all four batters he faced in the seventh and eighth innings, striking out three of them.
Jeremy Jeffress got the first two outs in the seventh before plunking pinch-hitter Darrell Ceciliani. Smith came on to face left-handed hitting Curtis Granderson, finally putting him away on a full-count slider.
Milwaukee manufactured a run in the bottom of the first against Mets starter Jon Niese, with Ryan Braun starting things with a two-out single. Gomez reached when his grounder deflected off the glove of shortstop Wilmer Flores into left field and Lind drove in the run with a single up the middle.
The Brewers loaded the bases when Aramis Ramirez walked, but Gerardo Parra grounded out to end the threat.
The Mets (36-36) tied it on Granderson’s 10th homer of the season in the top of the third and forged ahead in the fourth after Flores drew a leadoff walk, moved up on a groundout, took third on a wild pitch by Fiers and scored on Kevin Plawecki’s sacrifice fly to left.
The Brewers tied the game in the sixth.
Parra led off with a single and stole second before Hernan Perez worked a walk.
Hector Gomez came on to pinch-hit for Fiers and laid down a sacrifice bunt that turned into a bunt hit to load the bases.
Jean Segura followed with a fly ball to center field. Juan Lagares, who had 15 outfield assists as a rookie in 2013 and won a Gold Glove last year, opted to throw to third base, getting Perez while Parra scored the tying run.
In the seventh, right-hander Hansel Robles (1-2) came on in relief for New York and walked Carlos Gomez with one out. Left-hander Sean Gilmartin came on to pitch to Lind, who grounded a ball down the left field line and caromed past Cuddyer after hitting the angled side wall in foul territory, allowing Gomez to come around to score.
Before the game, the Brewers observed a moment of silence after the death Sunday of former Brewers outfielder Darryl Hamilton.
Gomez, in his first game since Wednesday in Kansas City because of a hip injury, was pleased he was able to make a difference with his speed.
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“Right now, I’m good enough to play 100 percent,” Gomez told MLB.com. “But you’re never going to be 100 percent healthy. Every day, it’s going to be something. But right now, I’ll start and hopefully in a few more days, I’ll be close to 100 percent in that area.”
Lind was 2-for-4 as the Brewers had nine hits in all and managed to win despite leaving 11 men on base.
The series continues Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. Central, with right-hander Jimmy Nelson (3-8, 4.64 ERA) taking on right-hander Bartolo Colon (9-5, 4.81), who despite popular belief, did not face the old Seattle Pilots during their expansion season before the franchise moved to Milwaukee.
Nelson is 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against the Mets, with 10 strikeouts in 12 innings. He last faced New York last July 27, working seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits but taking a 2-0 loss.
Colon, 42, is 3-2 lifetime in seven starts against the Brewers with a 4.62 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 39 innings. He absorbed a 7-0 loss on May 15 at Citi Field, allowing six runs, five earned, on seven hits in five innings.
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