WP: John Axford (1-1)
LP: Guillermo Mota (2-2)
HR: Carlos Gomez (3) (inside the park)
MVP: Randy Wolf (.356)
LVP: Kameron Loe (-.171)
FanGraphs Win Expectancy Graph
Situation: you've squandered a late, two-run lead and wasted a marvelous outing by your veteran junkballer. You've managed to load the bases in the game's final frame with just one out. You've got your hottest hitter at the dish.
What do you do?
If you've been paying attention this year, the answer should be obvious: a perfectly-executed suicide squeeze and a bunt-off win.
At least, that was the solution YOUR Milwaukee Brewers found today after blowing a 2-0, seventh-inning lead against San Francisco. With Gas Can Bill Mota on the mound in the bottom of the ninth, the Brewers used singles by Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, a move-'em-up grounder to third by Casey McGehee, and an intentional walk to Yuniesky Betancourt to set the stage for pinch hitter Jon Lucroy, who sat in favor of Randy Wolf's personal catcher, Wil Nieves, today. With the infield in, Jean Luc surprised everybody in the congregation with a bunt back to the mound on a 1-0 count, plating Braun with the game's winning run.
John Axford got the win with a scoreless frame in the ninth, but the pitching hero today was Randy Wolf. The left-hander teased, tantalized, and tortured the Giants for 7.1 innings today, limiting San Francisco to three hits and two walks while striking out five, and the Brewers led 2-0 after seven innings. But after retiring the leadoff batter in the eighth, Wolf issued a free pass to pinch hitter Andres Torres and a single to Aaron Rowand. With men on first and second, Roenicke summoned sinkerballer Kameron Loe to face Freddy Sanchez, and Loe did his job perfectly, inducing a grounder to Casey McGehee. The only problem was that McGehee muffed the ball, which allowed Torres to score and again left the Giants with men at first and second with one down.
Loe then got another double play ball off the bat of Pat Burrell, only Yuni Betancourt was apparently bolted in place and barely moved as the ball trickled into center field, and the game was suddenly tied at two. With Cody Ross at the dish, Loe got his third double-play grounder of the frame, and Yuni, Rickie Weeks, and Fielder converted this opportunity to keep the game knotted up.
The Brewers scored their first run in the bottom of the first on an inside the park homer off the bat of Carlos Gomez, who rifled a one-out hit into the right field corner. I'd like to tell you more about the play, but because of the shoddy camerawork by WMLW and the clipped sightlines in the press box, nobody was exactly sure what transpired out in right field. Whether it was a bobble or a goofy carom, Gomez never stopped running, and he was rewarded for his efforts with his third tater on the year.