:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/11660727/166775239.0.jpg)
Win: Brandon Kintzler (2-0)
Loss: Barry Zito (2-1)
Save: Jim Henderson (2)
HR: Aoki (2), Crawford (2), Gomez (1), Betancourt (1)
MVP: Rickie Weeks (.143)
LVP: Wily Peralta (-.361)
With Wily Peralta struggling on the mound, the Brewers would need a big night from their offense to get themselves a victory. And the Brewers got all the offense they would need in the third inning tonight.
Trailing 3-1 going into the bottom of the third inning the Brewers scored eight runs, a total greater than any single game total the Brewers had recorded all season. The inning started with a single by Peralta, who had just given up three runs in the top of the third. After Norichika Aoki was hit by a pitch and Jean Segura singled, Ryan Braun came to the plate with the bases loaded and struck out.
Following the Braun strikeout, Rickie Weeks proved to everyone that he is indeed clutch and smacked a ground rule double down the left field line to score Peralta and Aoki. Jonathan Lucroy followed Weeks' two-run double with a two-run single. The hit parade was not over yet as both Alex Gonzalez and Carlos Gomez singled to set the stage for everyone's favorite Brewer, Yuniesky Betancourt. With the bases loaded, Yuni B jumped on a changeup from Barry Zito and hit his fifth career grand slam to give the Brewers a 9-3 lead.
A six-run lead would typically be more than enough run support, but Peralta really struggled tonight. In four plus innings pitched, Peralta gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks. He was simply not able to get easy outs on the mound tonight and had to use a ton of pitches each inning. In his four plus innings, his pitch count per innings was: 17, 13, 23, 12, and 18. Peralta simply needs to find a way to be more efficient with his pitches if he plans on being a legitimate major league starter.
Even though Peralta only recorded 12 outs, he did leave the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning without recording an out. In a bases loaded jam, Mike Fiers came into the game and escaped the inning with a single run scored on a sacrifice fly from Pablo Sandoval. Fiers really deserves some credit for coming into a situation he hasn't really faced before and getting three big outs while only giving up one run.
Sadly, he didn't look very good in his second inning loading the bases while only recording one out. With the bases loaded and one out, Brandon Kintzler came into the game and gave up one run on a sacrifice fly from Pablo Sandoval. For the second straight inning, a Brewers reliever entered the game with the bases loaded and only gave up a single run. Though it would have been nice to see the Brewers get out of each jam unscathed, both Fiers and Kintzler did a good job putting out fires and limiting the damage each inning.
Both John Axford and Tom Gorzelanny added scoreless innings to get the Brewers to the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, Aoki added a Badger Mutual Insurance Run for the Brewers on his second home run of the season. The Brewers brought in closer Jim Henderson in the ninth to slam the door shut, but he instead decided to just close it meekly giving up a run on a single from Brandon Belt after Buster Posey doubled to lead off the inning.
The Brewers face the Giants in the second game of their three game series tomorrow. Kyle Lohse looks to get his first win as a Brewer as he faces off against Ryan Vogelsong at 7:10 p.m.