W: Brandon Kintzler (1-0, first major league win)
L: Kyle Kendrick (0-1)
HR: None
MVP: Carlos Gomez (+.316)
LVP: John Axford (-.306)
Win Expectancy Graph and Star of the Game voting
Goal #1: Avoid sweep.
Result: SUCCESS!
For the second straight start tonight, Shaun Marcum was excellent. He went six innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits, walking none and striking out five. His only negative was efficiency: He needed over 100 pitches to complete six innings, so even though he hit for himself in the seventh (in a bunt opportunity), he didn't come out to pitch the bottom half.
Meanwhile, the Brewers gave Marcum two runs to work with in the third but nothing else. The runs scored on back-to-back two out singles for Carlos Gomez and Ryan Braun. Aside from that there wasn't much offense to speak of for eleven innings: Casey McGehee and Prince Fielder's doubles were the only extra base hits.
Unfortunately, with the Brewer defense no one run lead is safe. A Casey McGehee error in the seventh led to Wilson Valdez scoring the tying run.
Then, the miraculous happened: With two on for the Phillies in the seventh, a line drive off the back Sergio Mitre turned into a double play for Yuniesky Betancourt. And in the top of the eighth, Betancourt drove in Ryan Braun with an RBI groundout to retake the lead.
Once again, however, a one run lead was not safe. John Axford walked the first batter he faced in the ninth and, after the Phillies bunted him to second, gave up an RBI single to Pete Orr to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
Finally, the Brewers scored three in the top of the twelfth, generating a lead the defense couldn't find a way to blow. Brandon Kintzler picked up the win, pitching two innings for the second consecutive day. He was the last of seven Brewer pitchers to appear in the game: Zach Braddock was the only reliever left in the bullpen by game's end, and Chris Narveson (scheduled to start on Wednesday) had headed out there just in case.
Rickie Weeks went 0-for-5 with a walk tonight, ending his hitting streak at ten games.