Win: Yovani Gallardo (5-5)
Loss: Anthony Bass (2-6)
Save: Jose Veras (1)
HR: Venable (5), Maldonado (3), Braun (15)
MVP: Martin Maldonado (.368 WPA)
LVP: John Axford (-.261 WPA)
Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph
The Brewers got the good Yovani Gallardo today. He went seven innings, allowing just one earned run on five hits. He struck out five hitters and walked just two. After a bad start against the Cubs, it's good to see Gallardo bounce back again. He's still had just three bad starts compared to 10 good to very good starts.
The Brewers lost the lead early on. Very early on, in fact. Will Venable led off the game with a home run to give the Padres a 1-0 advantage, which shortly changed to a 2-0 lead after an Everth Cabrera groundout resulted in Yonder Alonso scoring in the second inning.
The Brewers were not able to get their bats going until the bottom of the sixth inning. Norichiki Aoki hit a single, then stole a base, then moved to third on a throwing error by Padres' catcher John Baker. Ryan Braun hit a looping single to drive him in for Milwaukee's first run. The Padres were able to then get two quick outs as Aramis Ramirez and Taylor Green both flied out. Rickie Weeks took a two out walk.
That put two men on base for Martin Maldonado. Maldonado made the most of his opportunity, hitting a three run bomb to deep center field, giving Milwaukee a 4-2 lead. Edwin Maysonet then followed that up with a triple, though nothing would come of it as Gallardo struck out to end the inning.
The Brewers would score two more on a Braun home run in the seventh inning that also scored Aoki, who had just walked.
That home run would prove to be very necessary. John Axford came in in the ninth inning with a 6-2 lead and promptly proceeded to disintegrate. He started off well, striking out Everth Cabrera. But then he gave up, in succession, a single, a double, a walk, a single, and a bases loaded walk, resulting in two runs.
After that, the Brewers pulled Axford and put in Jose Veras. Veras gave up another run (which was attributed to Axford) but struck out two men to preserve the lead and get his first save since 2007. The Brewers may have only had six hits today, but they made them count.
Milwaukee has the day off tomorrow. They'll head to Kansas City on Tuesday to play the Royals for the first time since 2007 and the first trip to Kansas City since 2006.