Yelich, Hader make it happen
The Brewers celebrate after a solo shot by Christian
MILWAUKEE — After Christian Yelich helped give the Brewers a big early lead, Josh Hader preserved the win that nearly got away.
Hader struck out Ozzie Albies with two outs and the tying run on third in the ninth inning to save the 5-4 win over the Braves on Wednesday.
“They put a nice comeback on him, had some good at-bats, but he finished it,” manager Craig Counsell said of Hader.
Yelich’s solo homer in the sixth inning was his 34th and tied the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger for the major league lead. It was Yelich’s third home run in four games.
Trailing 5-0, the Braves rallied with two runs in the eighth on Josh Donaldson’s two-run homer and two runs in the ninth on his two-run single.
Pinch hitters Charlie Culberson and Johan Camargo led off the ninth with singles. With two outs, Freddie Freeman struck out on a pitch in the dirt, but reached first base after the ball got away from Manny Pina and Pina committed an error with his throw to first.
Donaldson hit a two-run single to make it 5-4 before Hader struck out Albies and earned his 21st save.
Milwaukee starter Chase Anderson (5-2) gave up only one hit, a double to Brian McCann in the second inning, in 52⁄3 innings.
“He’s a decent player,” Anderson said of Yelich, joking. “When he goes into slumps, his slumps are hitting singles instead of homers or triples or doubles. So, to have a guy that’s on your team to impact the game on a daily basis the way he does, it’s huge.”
Padres: Rookie righthander Chris Paddack lost a no-hit bid when the Marlins’ Starlin Castro led off the eighth inning with a home run. The Padres, who played their first game in 1969, are still the only team in the majors to never throw a no-hitter. Paddack opened the eighth having thrown 82 pitches. Castro lined the second pitch of his at-bat over the wall in left. Paddack had struck out seven and walked one entering the eighth.
Athletics: Homer Bailey shook off a rocky start to go six innings in his Oakland debut, Mark Canha and Jurickson Profar both homered twice and the Athletics beat the Mariners 10-2 on Wednesday. Chad Pinder and Ramon Laureano also went deep as the A’s matched their season high with six home runs. Oakland has won six straight and 12 of 14.
Yankees: Speedy outfielder Terrance Gore was traded to the Yankees by the Royals for cash. The deal was announced before New York’s scheduled game against the Rays was postponed due to weather. Gore was not added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster and will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Angels: Pitcher Noe Ramirez was suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for throwing a pitch in the area of Houston outfielder Jake Marisnick’s head, and Angels manager Brad Ausmus was suspended one game and fined. Ramirez drilled Marisnick between the shoulder blades with a 1-1 pitch in the sixth inning of the Angels’ 7-2 victory Tuesday. Marisnick was playing his first game against Los Angeles since his violent home plate collision with Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy, which left Lucroy with a concussion and a broken nose.
Phillies: Closer Hector Neris was suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for intentionally throwing a pitch in the area of the head of the Dodgers’ David Freese. Neris was ejected Tuesday after hitting Freese in the back with the next pitch after Matt Beaty hit a two-run homer . ... The Phillies placed veteran outfielder Jay Bruce on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique and recalled outfielder Nick Williams from Triple A.
Indians: Pitcher Corey Kluber threw a successful bullpen session at Progressive Field, the righthander’s first time throwing from a mound since fracturing his right forearm on May 1 when he was hit by a line drive. The team said the two-time Cy Young Award winner fired 20 fastballs, as scheduled, before Cleveland’s game against Detroit. Kluber remains on the 60-day injured list and is several weeks away from potentially beginning a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
Red Sox: Elijah “Pumpsie” Green, the first black player on the Boston Red Sox, has died. He was 85. A Red Sox spokesman confirmed his death Wednesday night. Green played parts of four seasons with the Red Sox and one with the New York Mets from 1959-63, batting .246 with 13 homers and 74 RBIs. The Red Sox were the last team in the major leagues to field a black player.