Brewers Overcome Late Inning Lapse, Snap Losing Streak With 5-4 Walkoff Win Over Dodgers

W: Jose Veras (1-0)
L: Javy Guerra (1-1)

HR: Mat Gamel (1), Andre Ethier (4)

MVP: George Kottaras (+.671)
LVP: Francisco Rodriguez (-.456)

FanGraphs Win Expectancy Graph and Star of the Game Voting

Now this was a fun one.

After winning 46 straight games when leading after seven innings, the Brewers looked doomed for a late loss when Francisco Rodriguez allowed a home run to Andre Either to turn a 3-2 Brewer lead into a 4-3 deficit in the eighth inning.

The Brewers, however, were not done. Corey Hart singled to lead off the ninth, Mat Gamel walked behind him and, after a bunt attempt fiasco involving Jonathan Lucroy, the tying and winning runs scored on a pinch hit double by George Kottaras. Kottaras was in the game in place of Cesar Izturis, meaning the Brewers would not have had a shortstop if they'd managed to force extra innings.

Meanwhile, Yovani Gallardo is quickly turning his rough Opening Day start into a distant memory. He was very good again tonight, allowing two earned runs (although the second came after a fly ball Corey Hart probably should have had) on seven hits over seven innings, walking one and striking out seven. He was briefly in line for the win but will have to settle for a no-decision.

The most unexpected development of the 2012 season to date has to be this: Cesar Izturis had two hits tonight. The first was a grounder through the drawn in infield to score the Brewers' second run, and the second extended the seventh inning for Norichika Aoki to suicide squeeze home the go-ahead run.

Mat Gamel (who homered) and Rickie Weeks (who doubled in each of his first two at bats) also each had a pair of hits tonight. The Brewers scored five runs tonight despite the fact that they didn't draw a walk until Gamel got a free pass in the ninth.

Tonight's win brings the Brewers back within a game of .500 at 5-6, and the loss drops the Dodgers to 9-2, which is still the best record in baseball. The two teams will meet again tomorrow when Zack Greinke takes on Chris Capuano at 7:10.