The good fight
Crew battles back from early deficit
The Milwaukee Brewers have been consistent at building early leads but inconsistent at protecting them in the late going. But this was a different script.
The Brewers found themselves trailing by two runs in the fourth inning Wednesday night at Miller Park but pecked away until they made off with a 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
Right-hander Jimmy Nelson was the beneficiary of that timely offense, battling through six innings to record his fourth victory in seven decisions. Nelson allowed seven hits and a walk but only three runs while logging six strikeouts.
As they often do (56 first-inning runs), the Brewers jumped on top, 1-0, when their second batter, Domingo Santana, lofted a home run into the picnic area in right field, already matching his career high with 11 homers.
Nelson entered the game on an absolute tear, posting a 1.77 earned run average over his previous six starts. His last two were absolute gems in which he allowed 12 hits and one run over 15 innings with no walks and 21 strikeouts.
Nelson made it to the third without allowing a run before a three-batter blip put three runs on the board for the Giants. With one down, Eduardo Nunez singled to center, stole second and scored on Brandon Belt’s double to right. Nelson then hung a first-pitch slider to Buster Posey, who whacked it off the bottom of the scoreboard in center for a two-run homer and 3-1 lead.
The Brewers quickly chipped away at that margin, scoring twice in the fourth off lefty Ty Blach to tie the game. Jesus Aguilar led off with a hit and continued to second on an outfield error, coming around when Travis Shaw singled to center. A double by Hernan Perez moved Shaw to third, setting up Manny Pina’s sacrifice fly to right.
With two down in the Brewers’ fifth, Santana singled to center and raced all the way around from first when Aguilar went the other way and punched a double into the rightfield corner. The lead grew to 5-3 in the sixth when Pina doubled with one down and scored on another by Arcia with two outs.
Right-hander George Kontos took over for Blach in the bottom of the seventh and Jonathan Villar gave him a rude greeting, blasting a home run to right on a 1-0 cutter. It was the fourth consecutive inning in which the Brewers scored, turning a 3-1 deficit
into a 6-3 lead.
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
Shaw returned from paternity leave, and the third baseman was back in the cleanup spot as the only left-handed hitter against Blach, who was holding lefties to a .167 batting average.
Five players at Class AA Biloxi made the Southern League midseason allstar team: shortstop Mauricio Dubon, first baseman Dustin DeMuth, right-handers Angel Ventura and Aaron Wilkerson, and closer Matt Ramsey. Three players at Class A Wisconsin made the Midwest League squad: catcher Mario Feliciano, outfielder Monte Harrison and righthanded pitcher Braden Webb. Feliciano, 18, was drafted in the 2016 Competitive Balance Round B and Webb in the third round. STAT SHEET
Brewers centerfielder Keon Broxton has been in a prolonged skid. He has four hits in his last 43 atbats (.093), dropping his batting average to .231.
Back in the leadoff spot in the righty-dominated lineup, Villar tripled
from the right side and homered from the left side, perhaps a sign of hope. He entered the game with one hit in 11 at-bats on the homestand and a .207 batting average. TAKEAWAY
Offense has been a strength for most of the year and the Brewers stayed after it until they had turned a two-run deficit into a three-run lead. That was enough thanks to the fight Nelson showed and reliable relief from Jared Hughes, Jacob Barnes and Corey Knebel.
RECORD
This year: 32-28 (17-18 home; 15-10 away)
Last year: 28-32 ATTENDANCE Wednesday: 20,580 2017 total: 991,896 (28,340 avg.)
Last year: 960,995 (27,457 avg.) NEXT GAME
Thursday: Brewers vs. Giants, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Paolo Espino (0-0) vs. San Francisco RHP Johnny Cueto (5-5, 4.38). TV: MLB Network. Radio: 620-AM.