Aoki Powers Brewers To Third Straight Win, A 6-5 Victory Over Cleveland

W: Kameron Loe (1-0)
L: Vinnie Pestano (1-1)
S: Tim Dillard (1)

HR: Carlos Santana (3)

It took most of a month, but the Brewers have finally won three consecutive Cactus League games. Norichika Aoki's two out, ninth inning triple plated Taylor Green with the deciding run in a 6-5 victory. Aoki is now 11-for his last 17 in Cactus League play.

Chris Narveson became the first Brewer starting pitcher to work into the seventh inning this spring, allowing four runs on five hits and four walks over 6.1 innings with two strikeouts. His only major misstep in the game came in the sixth when he allowed a long home run to Carlos Santana. Unfortunately, the Brewer defense robbed him of his chance for a win when two errors and a Felix Pie single plated the tying run off Kameron Loe in the eighth.

The Brewers had three errors in the final two innings of today's game, as Brooks Conrad booted a ground ball in the ninth that could have led to a game-ending double play. Instead, Tim Dillard got the next batter, Ryan Spillborghs to hit another double play grounder.

Meanwhile, the Brewers plated a single run in the first when Nyjer Morgan tripled and scored on Ryan Braun's RBI groundout, added three more in the fifth with an inning that featured a two-run double for Travis Ishikawa, and tacked on one more on an RBI double from Taylor Green in the sixth.

Travis Ishikawa and George Kottaras each had multiple hits in the game. Kottaras was a late addition to the lineup in place of Jonathan Lucroy, who is believed to be close to signing a long term contract extension today. Ryan Braun went 1-for-4, but drove in two runs.

The Brewers return home tomorrow to open a three game homestand. Yovani Gallardo will take on Bruce Chen and the Royals at 3:05.