Brewers: Hernan Perez error spoils Jimmy Nelson gem
By Phil Watson
The Milwaukee Brewers and right-hander Jimmy Nelson were cruising along Friday night.
Until they weren’t.
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Nelson took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and was still shutting out the Los Angeles Dodgers with two outs in the seventh inning when disaster struck.
That disaster came in the form of an error by third baseman Hernan Perez, who had just entered the game as a defensive replacement for Aramis Ramirez. That sparked the Dodgers to a three-run inning and a 3-2 win over the Brewers.
In the process, Milwaukee (37-51) had its seven-game road winning streak ended and Nelson (6-9) lost for the first time in four starts.
Nelson took the blame for the inning getting away.
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“That’s tough, but there were two outs,” Nelson told MLB.com. “I had a couple of hitters after that to still get out with no runs. I know [Perez] is probably being pretty hard on himself right now, but there’s no excuse for me not getting one of the next two guys. I feel bad about that part.”
With a 2-0 lead, Nelson was cruising along, having allowed just two hits. He got the first two hitters in the seventh before Perez fielded Alex Guerrero’s ground ball , but dropped the ball on the transfer to his throwing hand, allowing Guerrero to reach.
Jimmy Rollins followed by lining a single to center field to put runners at the corners and Andre Ethier came on to pinch-hit for the Dodgers.
Manager Craig Counsell said he considered going to left-hander Will Smith in that situation, but instead left Nelson in to face the lefty-swinging former All-Star.
Rollins stole second base during the at bat before Ethier lined a single to center to tie the game.
Joc Pederson followed with a double to left, plating Ethier with the eventual game-winner.
“I stuck with Jimmy,” Counsell said. “That’s as good as he’s pitched this year. I thought he was excellent. He was in total control. He did a nice job. It’s a shame.”
Milwaukee got Ryan Braun to second base with two outs in the eighth against left-hander J.P. Howell after a single and a wild pitch, but Adam Lind grounded out to shortstop to end the threat.
Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the ninth for Los Angeles (50-38) to earn his 15th save. Reliever Chin-hui Tsao (1-0) earned the win with a scoreless seventh inning.
Nelson wound up working seven innings and allowing three runs, all unearned, with two walks and six strikeouts. Smith did wind up pitching the eighth, striking out the side around a walk.
The Brewers got both of their runs in the fifth against starter Mike Bolsinger. Jean Segura led off with a single and moved up on Scooter Gennett’s base hit to right. A wild pitch put runners on second and third, and after Nelson struck out, Gerardo Parra’s grounder to second plated Segura.
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A curveball got away from Bolsinger, allowing Gennett to score on the wild pitch.
Segura was 3-for-4 and Gennett was 2-for-3, but Milwaukee mustered just seven hits in the game.
The series continues Saturday at 9:10 p.m. Central, with rookie Taylor Jungmann (3-1, 2.43 ERA) slated to start for the Brewers against right-hander Brandon Beachy, who will be making his first big-league appearance since August 2013, when he was with the Atlanta Braves.
Jungmann will be facing the Dodgers for the first time. He was dominant in his last start, holding the Cincinnati Reds to one run on four hits in eight innings Sunday in a 6-1 win.
While with the Braves, Beachy was 1-0 with a 0.47 ERA in three starts against the Milwaukee, striking out 22 in 19 innings. He last faced the Brewers on April 15, 2012, throwing seven innings and allowing one unearned run on three hits in a 7-4 win at Turner Field.
Next: Rumors: Mets Inquire About Ramirez, Segura