W: Gio Gonzalez (20-8)
L: Wily Peralta (2-1)
HR: Ryan Zimmerman (23), Adam LaRoche (32), Ian Desmond (24), Taylor Green (3)
MVP: Jean Segura (.059)
LVP: Wily Peralta (-.224)
Win Expectancy Graph
The bad Wily Peralta finally made an appearance.
Peralta looked like he had turned the corner following his second callup in September. Gone was the AAA version of Peralta, who walked more than four batters per nine and pitched to a 4.66 ERA over 146 innings. His first big-league start was a little rocky, but Peralta responded in his next two with just two walks and one earned run.
The wheels fell off on Saturday. Peralta threw 73 pitches over just 2.2 innings, walking four and allowing three earned runs. Combined with a bunting strikeout, it was a rough day at the office. Peralta was pulled in the third with the bases loaded.
Unfortunately, his replacement fared worse.
Livan Hernandez was able to get the final out of the third, but it was a harbinger of doom: a hanging curve over the plate that Kurt Suzuki got underneath. He wouldn't be so fortunate in the fourth inning. A hit and walk put two on for Ryan Zimmerman, who promptly deposited a 2-1 fastball into the seats in left-center. After another couple hits, Ian Desmond took Hernandez deep again, effectively putting this one out of reach. Just for fun, though, LaRoche cracked another dinger in the sixth, his thirty-second.
The Brewers attempted a comeback late but fell short. Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez each knocked in a run in the sixth. Taylor Green tacked on two in the ninth on his third home run, but that would pretty much end the threat.
Notably, the Brewers had only one stolen base today, by Jean Segura, after running wild in the first few games of this road trip. That's because they managed only six hits off Cy Young candidate Gio Gonzalez, who won his 20th.