Brewers 3, Dodgers 1
W: Greinke (12-4) L: Eovaldi (1-1) SV: Axford (36)
The Brewers won their sixth straight game and it is clear now they control their own destiny. Simply put, if Milwaukee keeps winning they will have their first division crown since 1982.
"It's definitely not locked up, but if we continue to play well, it should happen," Greinke said after the game. "It's on us, mainly. It is ours to lose, I think, as of right now."
The Brewers kept pace with the Cardinals, as they beat the Pirates earlier in the night. That means St. Louis is still seven games back and the rest of the NL Central is at least 12 1/2 back.
There is no doubt owner Mark Attanasio will reach his goal of three million fans at Miller Park this year after another sold out crowd.
Zack Greinke is now 9-0 at home and is the only pitcher in the National League to win four games in the month of August. In seven innings he gave up five hits and only surrendered one earned run, a homer to Tony Gwynn Jr., which happened in the last inning he pitched. Greinke also struck out eight while walking three, and has lowered his season ERA to 3.92.
LaTroy Hawkins worked an excellent eighth for the hold, as he has taken the setup duties for Francisco Rodriguez while he rests his legs. John Axford walked one batter and struck out three on his way to a league leading 36th save. He is tied with Atlanta's Craig Kimbrel.
According to Brewers.com, this is the first time in franchise history the Brewers have allowed one run or fewer in five consecutive games. A very impressive statistic considering this team is more known for their bat than their pitching. Clearly that has all changed with the vastly improved bullpen and outstanding starting rotation.
As good as Greinke and the bullpen were, the player of the game was Jerry Hairston. He has made some exceptional defensive plays since joining the Brewers a couple weeks ago, but has yet to distinguish himself offensively. In the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded and two outs, Hairston stepped up to the plate with the game on the line. After fighting off some great pitches, he finally came through with a single up the middle to score two runs.
The Dodgers added some insurance for the Brewers in the seventh when reliever Josh Lindblom threw a wild pitch on ball four to Craig Counsell with Jonathan Lucroy standing on third base. Lucroy raced home to score the third and final run of the game.
Showing posts with label Jerry Hairston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jerry Hairston. Show all posts
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Kotsay caps Yo's gem with walk off
Brewers 2, Dodgers 1
W: Saito (4-1) L: Kuo (0-2)
The Brewers have now won 18 of their last 20 games and with 39 regular season games to go, a seven game cushion in the NL Central is looking pretty good. At least to the fans they are in good shape.
"We're not anything special yet," said Mark Kotsay after his game winning hit. "We have a lot of baseball left to play."
It is comforting to know that despite their biggest lead in the division this year, the Brewers are still playing like they are chasing someone.
"We can still go after the Phillies," claimed an enthusiastic Nyjer Morgan.
The way Milwaukee is playing there is no doubt in mind they could challenge Philadelphia for the best record in baseball. The most important thing is the team knows where they are at this point in the season and they are complacent with that.
Yovani Gallardo pitched an outstanding game in front of a sold out Miller Park. For the second night in a row a Brewer pitcher eats up eight innings and gives the bullpen some much needed rest. Gallardo only gave up one earned run on four hits and had nine strikeouts to go with it. He now has 142 strikeouts on the season, one behind team leader Zack Greinke. Yovani seemed to struggle a little bit in the early parts of the game, but as the innings built up he seemed to get stronger.
The Dodgers struck first in the second inning when Aaron Miles singled home Matt Kemp.
Milwaukee came storming back in the bottom half of the second. After Jerry Hairston singled and Jonathan Lucroy walked, Gallardo got down a great sacrifice bunt on a 0-2 count. With runners on second and third, Corey Hart hit a ground out to the third baseman whose only out was at first.
Gallardo and Dodger starting pitcher Chad Billingsley both settled down after that. Another run was not scored until the ninth inning.
Takashi Saito pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and for the second time in three days it was good enough to garner him the win.
Prince Fielder started out the bottom half of the inning with a walk. Los Angeles chose to make a pitching change and replace Hong-Chih Kuo with Mike MacDougal. Casey McGehee welcomed the substitution with a single to right field on the very first pitch he saw. The usually free swinging Yuniesky Betancourt put the bat on his shoulder and took four straight balls. With the bases loaded pinch hitter Mark Kotsay smacked the first pitch he saw to center, which fell right in front of the center fielder. For the second time this year Kotsay walked off and made Milwaukee winners.
W: Saito (4-1) L: Kuo (0-2)
The Brewers have now won 18 of their last 20 games and with 39 regular season games to go, a seven game cushion in the NL Central is looking pretty good. At least to the fans they are in good shape.
"We're not anything special yet," said Mark Kotsay after his game winning hit. "We have a lot of baseball left to play."
It is comforting to know that despite their biggest lead in the division this year, the Brewers are still playing like they are chasing someone.
"We can still go after the Phillies," claimed an enthusiastic Nyjer Morgan.
The way Milwaukee is playing there is no doubt in mind they could challenge Philadelphia for the best record in baseball. The most important thing is the team knows where they are at this point in the season and they are complacent with that.
Yovani Gallardo pitched an outstanding game in front of a sold out Miller Park. For the second night in a row a Brewer pitcher eats up eight innings and gives the bullpen some much needed rest. Gallardo only gave up one earned run on four hits and had nine strikeouts to go with it. He now has 142 strikeouts on the season, one behind team leader Zack Greinke. Yovani seemed to struggle a little bit in the early parts of the game, but as the innings built up he seemed to get stronger.
The Dodgers struck first in the second inning when Aaron Miles singled home Matt Kemp.
Milwaukee came storming back in the bottom half of the second. After Jerry Hairston singled and Jonathan Lucroy walked, Gallardo got down a great sacrifice bunt on a 0-2 count. With runners on second and third, Corey Hart hit a ground out to the third baseman whose only out was at first.
Gallardo and Dodger starting pitcher Chad Billingsley both settled down after that. Another run was not scored until the ninth inning.
Takashi Saito pitched a 1-2-3 ninth and for the second time in three days it was good enough to garner him the win.
Prince Fielder started out the bottom half of the inning with a walk. Los Angeles chose to make a pitching change and replace Hong-Chih Kuo with Mike MacDougal. Casey McGehee welcomed the substitution with a single to right field on the very first pitch he saw. The usually free swinging Yuniesky Betancourt put the bat on his shoulder and took four straight balls. With the bases loaded pinch hitter Mark Kotsay smacked the first pitch he saw to center, which fell right in front of the center fielder. For the second time this year Kotsay walked off and made Milwaukee winners.
Defense, homers power Crew to victory
From Monday, August 15th, 2011
Brewers 3, Dodgers 0
W: Wolf (10-8) L: Lilly (7-13) SV: Axford (35)
Four double plays and a triple play capped off a great night defensively for the Brewers. The defense would have been nothing it was not for the three home-runs that propelled Milwaukee to victory.
Randy Wolf had another stellar performance as he seems to be getting better as the season wears on. Wolf pitched eight innings of no-run baseball and gave up six hits. He had men on in four of the eight innings and he allowed a season-high five walks, but double plays quickly took care of all that. Randy also lowered his ERA to 3.30, best among the Brewers starting rotation.
It is no surprise Wolf is pitching so well in a pennant race. He is a solid veteran with a lot of experience to contribute to this young team. Randy is exactly what the Brewers need in the middle of their starting five and as long as he stays healthy, he will keep on pitching gems.
In the second inning with men on at first and second, James Loney hit a hard ball just past the outreached arm of Wolf. Josh Wilson made a great pick up and scooped it in one motion out of his glove to Yuniesky Betancourt, who was waiting for the ball at second. Betancourt than fired to Prince Fielder at first base for the second out. Fielder noticed Matt Kemp making a break for home and quickly threw a perfect ball to George Kottaras, who put an excellent tag on Kemp before he could touch the plate. The umpire rang him up for the sixth triple play in Milwaukee Brewer history.
Kemp attempted to make the argument he was safe, but replays showed he was definitely out. His right arm actually slid past home plate without ever touching it. If he had only extended his arm inward, history would be told differently.
The next inning another dynamic play occurred. After rookie Dioner Navarro hit a ground-rule double, Justin Sellers singled to center field. Jerry Hairston picked up the ball and hurled a rocket home as Navarro was rounding third. The ball met Kottaras perfectly as he tagged Dioner in stride for the first out.
In the fourth inning Hairston was at it again, but this time it was a different play. Wolf issued a walk to Andre Ethier and had to face Matt Kemp with one on. Kemp hit a blooper to shallow right center where Hairston came crashing in hard and dove to make the miraculous catch. Ethier was so sure that the ball was going to drop that he was already rounding second. Hairston got up and threw to first base for the amazing double play.
After all the outstanding defense it was time for the Brewers to take advantage and put some runs on the board, enter Ryan Braun. With an 0-2 count, Ted Lilly tried to put the ball up above the strike zone to get Ryan to chase. Fortunately, the ball did not get as high as intended and Braun crushed it deep to left center field. It ended the no-hit threat and gave Milwaukee a lead they would not relinquish.
Jonathan Lucroy hit a pinch-hit homer to left field and Corey Hart followed with a solo-shot of his own in the bottom of the eighth inning to give John Axford some insurance. It was Lucroy's ninth and Hart's 18th of the year respectively.
The Axe-Man came in to close the game. After getting one out, Kemp reached base on a single. Juan Rivera then lined out to Prince Fielder who stepped on the bag for the unassisted double play to end the game. Very fitting for a team that just had their best defensive effort of the season.
Brewers 3, Dodgers 0
W: Wolf (10-8) L: Lilly (7-13) SV: Axford (35)
Four double plays and a triple play capped off a great night defensively for the Brewers. The defense would have been nothing it was not for the three home-runs that propelled Milwaukee to victory.
Randy Wolf had another stellar performance as he seems to be getting better as the season wears on. Wolf pitched eight innings of no-run baseball and gave up six hits. He had men on in four of the eight innings and he allowed a season-high five walks, but double plays quickly took care of all that. Randy also lowered his ERA to 3.30, best among the Brewers starting rotation.
It is no surprise Wolf is pitching so well in a pennant race. He is a solid veteran with a lot of experience to contribute to this young team. Randy is exactly what the Brewers need in the middle of their starting five and as long as he stays healthy, he will keep on pitching gems.
In the second inning with men on at first and second, James Loney hit a hard ball just past the outreached arm of Wolf. Josh Wilson made a great pick up and scooped it in one motion out of his glove to Yuniesky Betancourt, who was waiting for the ball at second. Betancourt than fired to Prince Fielder at first base for the second out. Fielder noticed Matt Kemp making a break for home and quickly threw a perfect ball to George Kottaras, who put an excellent tag on Kemp before he could touch the plate. The umpire rang him up for the sixth triple play in Milwaukee Brewer history.
Kemp attempted to make the argument he was safe, but replays showed he was definitely out. His right arm actually slid past home plate without ever touching it. If he had only extended his arm inward, history would be told differently.
The next inning another dynamic play occurred. After rookie Dioner Navarro hit a ground-rule double, Justin Sellers singled to center field. Jerry Hairston picked up the ball and hurled a rocket home as Navarro was rounding third. The ball met Kottaras perfectly as he tagged Dioner in stride for the first out.
In the fourth inning Hairston was at it again, but this time it was a different play. Wolf issued a walk to Andre Ethier and had to face Matt Kemp with one on. Kemp hit a blooper to shallow right center where Hairston came crashing in hard and dove to make the miraculous catch. Ethier was so sure that the ball was going to drop that he was already rounding second. Hairston got up and threw to first base for the amazing double play.
After all the outstanding defense it was time for the Brewers to take advantage and put some runs on the board, enter Ryan Braun. With an 0-2 count, Ted Lilly tried to put the ball up above the strike zone to get Ryan to chase. Fortunately, the ball did not get as high as intended and Braun crushed it deep to left center field. It ended the no-hit threat and gave Milwaukee a lead they would not relinquish.
Jonathan Lucroy hit a pinch-hit homer to left field and Corey Hart followed with a solo-shot of his own in the bottom of the eighth inning to give John Axford some insurance. It was Lucroy's ninth and Hart's 18th of the year respectively.
The Axe-Man came in to close the game. After getting one out, Kemp reached base on a single. Juan Rivera then lined out to Prince Fielder who stepped on the bag for the unassisted double play to end the game. Very fitting for a team that just had their best defensive effort of the season.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Estrada outstanding in spot start
From Saturday, August 13th, 2011
Brewers 1, Pirates 0
W: Estrada (3-7) L: Correia (12-11) SV: Axford (34)
Five Brewer pitchers combined for nine shutout innings to beat the Pirates. It was easy going until the ninth, when things got a little intense. John Axford allowed a lead off triple that Nyjer Morgan misplayed in center field. It almost spelled disaster, but the Axe-Man was able to shut it down.
Marco Estrada got the spot start in replace of the injured Chris Narveson, who hurt himself cutting his glove with scissors. Manager Ron Roenicke had to be pleased with Estrada who dominated the five innings that he was in for. Marco felt he could have gone further in the game, considering he only allowed one hit and struck out five, but Roenicke made up his mind that he only wanted Estrada pitching half the game. Needless to say, it was a dominated half. No one could have done better and it was exactly what the Brewers needed.
Yuniesky Betancourt scored the only run of the game in the second inning on a solo shot to left field. Yuniesky dialed in on a 0-2 fastball and crushed it out of the park. A few months ago nobody would have ever guessed the Brewers would win a game with the only offense coming from a Betancourt home run, but now nobody is surprised. We are all witnesses to the talent and now we expect it. The best part is he expects it as well.
It has to be comforting that Roenicke knows he can turn the ball over to his bullpen in a one-run game and be confident they can give him a win.
Saito, LaTroy Hawkins, and Francisco Rodriguez all recorded a hold in this game. K-Rod was the only one of the three to allow a batter to reach base, but he made up for it with two strikeouts. Saito and Hawkins both struck out a batter as well.
The only trouble came in the ninth inning when Axford gave up a triple to Xavier Paul. To be perfectly honest, Morgan should have been able to make the play if he had not overran the ball. Instead of turning around over his left should to make the grab, he continued to look over his right shoulder which gave him no chance.
With zero outs and the Pirates hottest batter at the plate in Andrew McCutchen, Axford really had to concentrate. McCutchen swung at the first pitch and grounded it right to Betancourt, who looked back Paul before making the play at first. On the very next pitch, Matt Diaz grounded out to Jerry Hairston who kept the runner at third before recording the out at first. At this point the Miller Park crowd became eccentric. Axford made things a little more nerve-racking by walking Garrett Jones, but made up for it when he struck out Neil Walker to end the game. The fans went into a frenzy as the Axe-Man garnered his 31st consecutive save.
Brewers 1, Pirates 0
W: Estrada (3-7) L: Correia (12-11) SV: Axford (34)
Five Brewer pitchers combined for nine shutout innings to beat the Pirates. It was easy going until the ninth, when things got a little intense. John Axford allowed a lead off triple that Nyjer Morgan misplayed in center field. It almost spelled disaster, but the Axe-Man was able to shut it down.
Marco Estrada got the spot start in replace of the injured Chris Narveson, who hurt himself cutting his glove with scissors. Manager Ron Roenicke had to be pleased with Estrada who dominated the five innings that he was in for. Marco felt he could have gone further in the game, considering he only allowed one hit and struck out five, but Roenicke made up his mind that he only wanted Estrada pitching half the game. Needless to say, it was a dominated half. No one could have done better and it was exactly what the Brewers needed.
Yuniesky Betancourt scored the only run of the game in the second inning on a solo shot to left field. Yuniesky dialed in on a 0-2 fastball and crushed it out of the park. A few months ago nobody would have ever guessed the Brewers would win a game with the only offense coming from a Betancourt home run, but now nobody is surprised. We are all witnesses to the talent and now we expect it. The best part is he expects it as well.
It has to be comforting that Roenicke knows he can turn the ball over to his bullpen in a one-run game and be confident they can give him a win.
Saito, LaTroy Hawkins, and Francisco Rodriguez all recorded a hold in this game. K-Rod was the only one of the three to allow a batter to reach base, but he made up for it with two strikeouts. Saito and Hawkins both struck out a batter as well.
The only trouble came in the ninth inning when Axford gave up a triple to Xavier Paul. To be perfectly honest, Morgan should have been able to make the play if he had not overran the ball. Instead of turning around over his left should to make the grab, he continued to look over his right shoulder which gave him no chance.
With zero outs and the Pirates hottest batter at the plate in Andrew McCutchen, Axford really had to concentrate. McCutchen swung at the first pitch and grounded it right to Betancourt, who looked back Paul before making the play at first. On the very next pitch, Matt Diaz grounded out to Jerry Hairston who kept the runner at third before recording the out at first. At this point the Miller Park crowd became eccentric. Axford made things a little more nerve-racking by walking Garrett Jones, but made up for it when he struck out Neil Walker to end the game. The fans went into a frenzy as the Axe-Man garnered his 31st consecutive save.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Brew defeat Cards, win sixth straight
From Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
Brewers 5, Cardinals 1
W: Wolf (9-8) L: Westbrook (9-6)
Randy Wolf dominated the Cardinals and pitched eight innings to give the Brewers their fifth straight road victory.
Once again Milwaukee got on the board first and continued to win when doing so. Corey Hart led off the game with a walk as Nyjer Morgan and Ryan Braun followed with back-to-back singles. Prince Fielder hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Hart. Casey McGehee walked and the Brewers seemed to be heading for a big inning when Yuniesky Betancourt unfortunately grounded into a double play to end the threat.
The Cardinals came right back with a run of their own when Albert Pujols scored Rafeal Furcal with a sacrifice fly of his very own. It was the only run Wolf surrendered the entire game. Randy only allowed five men to reach base in what was by far his best performance of the season. Although he only had one strikeout, there was great movement on the ball and he was constantly mixing his pitches to fool the St. Louis batters. Wolf's ERA is now lowered to 3.48 and he has been a solid number three for the Brewers impressive starting rotation this year.
Milwaukee took the lead again in the third when Braun scored from second off of Fielder's double. McGehee grounded out and Betancourt made up for his double play in the first when he singled home Prince.
The game did not conclude without some controversy. After Jerry Hairston's base hit, Josh Wilson hit a sacrifice bunt to move him over. Pitcher Marc Rzepczynski threw the ball off target and Pujols had to take his foot off the bag in order to catch the ball. Wilson seemed to get there at the same time Pujols attempted to step on first. The umpire called Wilson safe and Tony La Russa came flying out of the dugout to argue the call. La Russa was quickly ejected and the Brewers made him pay as Corey Hart added some insurance with a single that scored both Hairston and Wilson.
Although Wolf probably could have finished with a complete game, manager Ron Roenicke was not willing to take any chances as he sent in Francisco Rodriguez to pitch the ninth. K-Rod got the first two batters out, but ran into trouble when he allowed back-to-back singles. Rodriguez got Yadier Molina to ground out for the win.
The Brewers send Yovani Gallardo to the mound in the finale in an attempt to get their second straight road sweep.
Brewers 5, Cardinals 1
W: Wolf (9-8) L: Westbrook (9-6)
Randy Wolf dominated the Cardinals and pitched eight innings to give the Brewers their fifth straight road victory.
Once again Milwaukee got on the board first and continued to win when doing so. Corey Hart led off the game with a walk as Nyjer Morgan and Ryan Braun followed with back-to-back singles. Prince Fielder hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Hart. Casey McGehee walked and the Brewers seemed to be heading for a big inning when Yuniesky Betancourt unfortunately grounded into a double play to end the threat.
The Cardinals came right back with a run of their own when Albert Pujols scored Rafeal Furcal with a sacrifice fly of his very own. It was the only run Wolf surrendered the entire game. Randy only allowed five men to reach base in what was by far his best performance of the season. Although he only had one strikeout, there was great movement on the ball and he was constantly mixing his pitches to fool the St. Louis batters. Wolf's ERA is now lowered to 3.48 and he has been a solid number three for the Brewers impressive starting rotation this year.
Milwaukee took the lead again in the third when Braun scored from second off of Fielder's double. McGehee grounded out and Betancourt made up for his double play in the first when he singled home Prince.
The game did not conclude without some controversy. After Jerry Hairston's base hit, Josh Wilson hit a sacrifice bunt to move him over. Pitcher Marc Rzepczynski threw the ball off target and Pujols had to take his foot off the bag in order to catch the ball. Wilson seemed to get there at the same time Pujols attempted to step on first. The umpire called Wilson safe and Tony La Russa came flying out of the dugout to argue the call. La Russa was quickly ejected and the Brewers made him pay as Corey Hart added some insurance with a single that scored both Hairston and Wilson.
Although Wolf probably could have finished with a complete game, manager Ron Roenicke was not willing to take any chances as he sent in Francisco Rodriguez to pitch the ninth. K-Rod got the first two batters out, but ran into trouble when he allowed back-to-back singles. Rodriguez got Yadier Molina to ground out for the win.
The Brewers send Yovani Gallardo to the mound in the finale in an attempt to get their second straight road sweep.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Gallardo dominates in Brew win
From Friday, August 5th, 2011
Brewers 8, Astros 1
W: Gallardo (13-7) L: Happ (4-14)
These are the games that must be won by the Brewers. Obviously Milwaukee must beat the other contending teams, most specifically St. Louis, but they must also lay down the hammer on the weak teams to stay in contention. They did just that Friday night in an all around impressive victory.
Yovani Gallardo was exceptional in a commanding performance that made his skipper proud. His teammates stood in awe as he chewed up and spit out the Astro batters one by one. Gallardo pitched a solid eight innings and only allowed one earned run on four hits. His six strikeouts are a tribute to how well he controlled the game.
The early run support might have had some effect on Gallardo's performance. Milwaukee jumped on the Astros early scoring three runs in the first. Corey Hart led off the game with a walk and Jerry Hairston followed with a single in his first start as a Brewer. Ryan Braun doubled on a line drive to left field that easily scored Hart and moved Hairston to third. After Prince Fielder lined out, Casey McGehee singled which got home Hairston and Braun.
Houston got their only run of the game in the second inning when Humberto Quintero singled with one out and the bases loaded. Yovani quickly got the next two batters to end the only threat of the game from the home team.
The Brewers scored another three runs in the third which started with a Braun single. Fielder followed with a double and McGehee walked to load the bases with zero outs. Yuniesky Betancourt continued to swing a hot bat as he single to get one run in. Felipe Lopez got his first RBI since returning to the Brewers, when he hit a sacrifice fly to center field that had plenty of room to score Fielder. Jonathan Lucroy capped off the run with a single to give Milwaukee a 6-1 lead.
Hart homered for the 16th time this season and Lucroy walked with the bases loaded to get his second RBI of the game to give the Brewers their final two runs.
All the pieces of the puzzle fell in place in this game and now the only thing to do is build on it. The Brewers must keep accelerating with momentum and piling up wins to keep pace with the teams that are chasing them. There is no time to take a break, that is what the off-season is for. Now is when every player must bunker down, keep their head forward and give everything they got for the next six weeks.
Brewers 8, Astros 1
W: Gallardo (13-7) L: Happ (4-14)
These are the games that must be won by the Brewers. Obviously Milwaukee must beat the other contending teams, most specifically St. Louis, but they must also lay down the hammer on the weak teams to stay in contention. They did just that Friday night in an all around impressive victory.
Yovani Gallardo was exceptional in a commanding performance that made his skipper proud. His teammates stood in awe as he chewed up and spit out the Astro batters one by one. Gallardo pitched a solid eight innings and only allowed one earned run on four hits. His six strikeouts are a tribute to how well he controlled the game.
The early run support might have had some effect on Gallardo's performance. Milwaukee jumped on the Astros early scoring three runs in the first. Corey Hart led off the game with a walk and Jerry Hairston followed with a single in his first start as a Brewer. Ryan Braun doubled on a line drive to left field that easily scored Hart and moved Hairston to third. After Prince Fielder lined out, Casey McGehee singled which got home Hairston and Braun.
Houston got their only run of the game in the second inning when Humberto Quintero singled with one out and the bases loaded. Yovani quickly got the next two batters to end the only threat of the game from the home team.
The Brewers scored another three runs in the third which started with a Braun single. Fielder followed with a double and McGehee walked to load the bases with zero outs. Yuniesky Betancourt continued to swing a hot bat as he single to get one run in. Felipe Lopez got his first RBI since returning to the Brewers, when he hit a sacrifice fly to center field that had plenty of room to score Fielder. Jonathan Lucroy capped off the run with a single to give Milwaukee a 6-1 lead.
Hart homered for the 16th time this season and Lucroy walked with the bases loaded to get his second RBI of the game to give the Brewers their final two runs.
All the pieces of the puzzle fell in place in this game and now the only thing to do is build on it. The Brewers must keep accelerating with momentum and piling up wins to keep pace with the teams that are chasing them. There is no time to take a break, that is what the off-season is for. Now is when every player must bunker down, keep their head forward and give everything they got for the next six weeks.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
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.
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.
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