Brewers: Scooter Gennett keys surge with 4 hits in win
By Phil Watson
The Milwaukee Brewers through four innings Saturday night looked the same as they’ve looked a lot lately—sort of lost at the plate.
Journeyman Jerome Williams retired 12 of the first 13 hitters he faced as the Philadelphia Phillies built an early 2-0 lead.
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But the Brewers broke through against Williams in the fifth and went on to get a series-clinching 4-2 victory over the Phillies at Miller Park.
Milwaukee (50-68) can make it a perfect 7-0 against Philadelphia (46-71) with a win on Sunday.
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Khris Davis led off the fifth by lining a double to left field and Scooter Gennett—who had a career-high four hits Saturday night—followed by slashing a single to left field to plate Davis.
Gennett wound up at second when left fielder Cody Asche botched the play. But he got a little too daring on the bases and was thrown out at third on Jean Segura’s grounder to short.
The Phillies defense betrayed Williams again, though. Elian Herrara singled to right and Segura wound up scoring when Jeff Francoeur’s throw was wild at third.
Milwaukee took the lead in the seventh against left-hander Justin De Fratus (0-2), with Gennett starting the inning with a bunt single down the third-base line.
“The bunt was big,” manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com.
Gennett moved up to second on a wild pitch and scored when Segura grounded a single to center field.
Gennett provided an insurance run in the eighth. Jonathan Lucroy led off with a single, advanced to second on a groundout and, after an intentional walk to Adam Lind, Davis singled to load the bases.
Gennett bounced a single up the middle to move everyone up a base before Luis Garcia fanned the final two hitters to limit the damage.
Jimmy Nelson didn’t pitch badly, but didn’t figure in the decision after allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
Will Smith (6-2) got the win by striking out the only batter he faced in the seventh.
Jeremy Jeffress worked around two hits with two strikeouts in the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez fanned two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his 28th save.
Aug 15, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell argues with second base umpire Fieldin Culbreath after a call at second base was reversed in the seventh inning at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Counsell wasn’t around for the winning rally in the seventh, having been ejected on a pickoff play that was overturned on replay in the top of the inning.
Smith wheeled and fired to Segura at second base, appearing initially to have picked Chase Utley off. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin challenged and the call was overturned.
When Counsell came out to discuss it, he was tossed by second base umpire Fieldin Culbreth.
Aug 15, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jean Segura (9) drives in a run with a base hit in the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
“I questioned whether he called him out because he kicked the ball out of the glove and did he gold the ball long enough?” Counsell told MLB.com. “They said he didn’t have possession, which I didn’t agree with.”
Gennett, who was demoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs earlier this year because of his struggles at the plate and in the field, is up to .254/.292/.385 on the season.
The Phillies got a run in the first with two outs when Odubel Herrera doubled and scored on Ryan Howard’s single and made it 2-0 in the third on a homer by Utley leading off the inning.
Lucroy and Davis each went 2-for-4 as Milwaukee banged out 10 hits.
Rookie right-hander Taylor Jungmann (6-4, 2.42 ERA) will try to close out the season sweep for the Brewers on Sunday at 1:10 p.m., facing veteran right-hander Aaron Harang (5-13, 4.52).
Milwaukee has never swept the Phillies in a season series. Philadelphia took all six games from the Brewers in 2004.
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Jungmann took a no-decision the first time he faced the Phillies on June 30 at Citizens Bank Park, allowing three runs—two earned—on five hits in six innings with two walks and four strikeouts. The Brewers went on to win the game 4-3.
He lost his last start—the shortest outing of his brief career—on Tuesday at Wrigley Field, surrendering four runs—two earned—on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 2.2 innings of a 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Harang, who spent parts of eight seasons in the NL Central with the Cincinnati Reds, is 7-7 in his career against Milwaukee in 28 career appearances, 27 of them starts, posting a 4.40 ERA and 1.462 WHIP in 169.2 innings with 142 strikeouts.
He was hammered in his only start against the Brewers this year, allowing eight runs on 14 hits with a walk and a strikeout in five innings on July 1. He went on the disabled list with a foot injury the following day.
He’s made three starts since returning, losing the last two, including getting racked for eight runs on 12 hits in 5.1 innings Monday in a 13-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, walking one and striking out four.
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