Brewers: Taylor Jungmann back on track as Crew sweeps Phillies
By Phil Watson
Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Taylor Jungmann bounced back from his worst performance as a big-leaguer in a big way.
The rookie shut out the Philadelphia Phillies for 6.1 innings Sunday at Miller Park, allowing just three hits while walking two and striking out a career-high nine hitters as the Brewers (51-68) completed a season sweep of the Phillies (46-72) with a 6-1 victory.
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Ryan Braun powered the offense for the Brewers, driving in five runs for the second time this season with a first-inning ground out and a fifth-inning grand slam that moved him into a tie atop the Brewers career list with Hall of Famer Robin Yount.
That was more than enough offense for Jungmann (7-4), who lowered his ERA to a sterling 2.23 through his first 13 major-league starts.
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Jungmann had his strikeout stuff working, fanning the side in the first on 11 pitches and doing it again in the third inning on just 10 deliveries.
All it took was a little tweak on the mechanics of his breaking ball.
“The biggest thing is not only the strikeout pitch, but being able to throw it early in the count,” Jungmann told MLB.com. “Getting ahead of guys with the breaking ball, where they have to think about that and not only first-pitch fastballs. I felt like I commanded it pretty well (Sunday).”
He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but one of his starts so far.
The Brewers grabbed the lead in the bottom of the first against Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang (5-14), an inning that could have been a lot more.
Jonathan Lucroy tripled with one out and came in to score on what was first ruled an infield single by Braun.
But the call at first was overturned on replay review and Adam Lind grounded out to end the inning.
Milwaukee put the game away in the fifth.
Scooter Gennett, who was 5-for-8 in the final two games of the series, led off the frame by flaring a double to right field. Jean Segura couldn’t get a bunt down, popping out, but Elian Herrera singled to right field to plate Gennett for a 2-0 lead.
Jungmann tried to sacrifice and wound up beating out a bunt single to put runners on first and second. After a lineout by Shane Peterson, Lucroy walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Braun to make some history.
He took a 1-1 curveball from Harang deep over the wall in left-center field. It was the 21st home run of the season for Braun and the 251st of his career, tying him with Yount for the all-time franchise lead.
The Brewers almost made it more. Lind and Khris Davis singled to chase Harang, but reliever Adam Loewen struck out Gennett to end the inning.
Harang was battered for six runs on seven hits in just 4.2 innings and took over the major-league lead with his 14th loss of the season, one more than Kyle Lohse of the Brewers.
Philadelphia got its only run of the game in the ninth, when left-hander Neal Cotts got into some trouble.
He allowed a homer to Andres Blanco—his fourth of the year—and then loaded the bases with two outs on a pair of singles and a walk.
Francisco Rodriguez came on in what was now a save situation and got Cesar Hernandez to bounce out to end it. It was Rodriguez’s 29th save of the season in 29 chances and tied him for seventh place on baseball’s all-time list with Joe Nathan of the Detroit Tigers with 377 career saves.
That is the most among active players. Next on the list is Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley with 390.
Lind was 2-for-4 as the Brewers managed eight hits off Harang and a trio of relievers.
Corey Knebel worked 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Jungmann, allowing a hit and striking out two.
Cotts was charged with a run on three hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
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The Brewers now host the Miami Marlins (47-70) for a three-game set Monday through Wednesday before taking a five-game trip to Washington and Cleveland.
Right-hander Matt Garza (6-12, 4.82 ERA) has pitched well in his last two starts and takes the ball Monday at 7:10 p.m. against rookie left-hander Justin Nicolino (1-1, 4.86).
Garza is 3-2 in seven career starts against the Marlins, with a 4.62 ERA and 1.359 WHIP in 39 innings, striking out 42. He last faced them on Sept. 9, 2014, at Miller Park, taking a no-decision while allowing two runs—one earned—on six hits with a walk and seven strikeouts in four innings of a 6-3 Miami victory.
He got a no-decision Wednesday at Wrigley Field despite allowing two runs on only three hits in seven innings with two walks and four strikeouts in a game won by the Chicago Cubs 3-2.
Nicolino will be making his fourth start, his second since being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans Tuesday for the second time this season. He got a no-decision in that start against the Boston Red Sox, allowing four runs and nine hits with a walk and no strikeouts in 5.2 innings in a game the Marlins won at Marlins Park 5-4.
Next: Braun Slams Way Into Tie Atop Brewers All-Time HR List