Brewers lose in extras

From Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011
Cardinals 8, Brewers 7
W: McClellan (8-6) L: Estrada (2-7) SV: Dotel (2)

The Brewers let one slip away in extra innings against the Cardinals and it is a game that could mean a lot down the stretch.

Milwaukee jumped on Jaime Garcia early tagging him for two runs in the first. After Corey Hart singled and Jerry Hairston doubled, Ryan Braun hit a ground out to score Hart and advance Hairston. Prince Fielder followed with a sacrifice fly for the second run.

Matt Holliday homered in the top of the second inning to cut the Brewers lead in half. Hart singled in the bottom of the second to score Josh Wilson who reached base with a single of his own. Milwaukee still had a two-run lead but they needed Marcum to settle down and record outs.

Shaun got through the third fine but the fourth was a disaster. Albert Pujols led off with a single and Holliday followed with a walk. Lance Berkman flew out to right and the runners advanced. Skip Schumaker reached on a fielder's choice as Pujols scored. With two outs, Daniel Descalso singled home Holliday. With two men on base and the pitcher up, it looked like Marcum was finally going to get out of the debacle. Jaime Garcia kept fighting balls off at the plate until he finally crushed a three-run homer to right field that had even his teammates surprised. It was Garcia's first home run of his career and the blow almost crippled the Brewers.

Instead of falling over and giving the game to St. Louis, Milwaukee had a different plan. Hart started the bottom of the fifth by reaching on a throwing error by Schumaker. After Hairston grounded into a force out, Braun singled to give Fielder runners at first and second. Prince singled a sharp ground ball that plated Hairston and sent Braun to third. With two outs, the newly improved Yuniesky Betancourt crushed a three-run homer to left field that gave the Brewers a one-run lead. Miller Park went into a frenzy as Betancourt rounded the bases with his fist pumped in the air.

It did not last long for the Crew as Holliday recorded a game-tying RBI in the seventh. Both teams had bases loaded and multiple chances to win the game towards the end, but neither could get it done. It was a true testament to how good both of these clubs are and how competitive the rest of the season is going to be.

It looked like the Brewers were going to walk-off in the ninth when Felipe Lopez hit a blooper to shallow left field. Betancourt was rounding third on his way home when out of no where Rafael Furcal, the Cardinals newly acquired shortstop, made an extremely impressive catch to end the threat.

St. Louis won the exact way Milwaukee almost did. Lance Berkman hit a soft blooper to shallow left field but unfortunately no Brewer was able to make the play. It was a tough way to lose a thrilling game, but it proved that the Brewers have just as much right as the Cardinals to be in this playoff race. Just because they lost this game in extras did not mean they were going to lose the series or the season.