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Win: Yovani Gallardo (4-4)
Loss: Jeff Locke (0-1)
Save: Francisco Rodriguez (19)
HR: None
After years of watching the Brewers play, most games tend to blend together after a certain point. That's probably true in every sport, but with baseball you have 162 games a season and it's a whole lot to remember. I'll remember key moments and some key games, but I wouldn't be able to tell you what happened in the Brewers game on May 26, 2010 for example. I couldn't tell you if the Brewers won or lost -- or if they even played that day -- without looking it up.
But there is one game that I remember vividly: April 29, 2009. It's an otherwise innocuous game, but it featured one of Yovani Gallardo's best starts ever. It was against the Pirates in Miller Park, Gallardo eight two-hit innings with double-digit strikeouts. But it wasn't just his pitching that was so great: The Brewers won 1-0 because of a Gallardo home run. The man did everything he could to win that game for the Brewers.
He came close to replicating that today, again against the Pirates. This time, he pitched just seven innings, but allowed only four hits with one walk while striking out eight batters. A third of his 121 pitches ended up as strikes. And, again, the Brewers won 1-0. Gallardo didn't win it with the bat today, though. He was 0-2 with a strikeout.
Today, the Brewers won with a bit of small ball. They kind of had to; the offense managed a whopping four hits on the day. In the seventh inning, tied 0-0, Jonathan Lucroy hit a ground-rule double to lead off the frame. A Carlos Gomez lineout allowed Lucroy to advance. Aramis Ramirez then grounded out as Lucroy managed to make it home for the only run of the game.
Lucroy was certainly the offensive star of the day for Milwaukee. The Best Catcher in the National League had three of the four Brewers hits on the day, raising his batting average to .335. Lucroy has a ways to go to catch up to league-leader Troy Tulowitzki (.360 average coming into the day), but he's certainly making a case for himself to be an All Star. Lucroy also stole a base today, his third of the year.
Carlos Gomez was the only other Brewers' batter to pick up a hit. Rickie Weeks also reached base with a walk.
The Brewers get a much-needed off-day Monday, then come visit me in New York for a three game series.
