:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46273660/usa-today-8551742.0.jpg)
W: Blazek, 2-0
L: Hatcher, 0-3
Save: Rodriguez, 5
HR: Pedersen (4), Hector Gomez (1)
It's been a heck of a rough start to the year for the Brewers. Today, it feels like progress was made.
I had been resigned to a year of riding out the storm while the Brewers slowly would come to understand that they were not as good as they thought and needed to rebuild. It's being caught in the diehard fan's strangest position-- when you find yourself thinking "Screw it, we might as well lose at this point." But the Brewers turned to a new era today and selected a young manager with a front office background to lead the team the rest of the way. It's a no-lose situation for Counsell and the Brewers, who as their luck evens out can build some positive momentum. And logical or not, as a fan I feel like that gives me a license for a little bit of hope, and maybe this team can win a few ballgames, or at least boost the trade value of a few veterans and get a sense of what younger players will be a part of the next contending team.
Kyle Lohse gave up a leadoff home run to Joc Pedersen and two more runs in the 4th inning on a single by Yasmani Grandal and a sac fly by Juan Uribe, who still is somehow a starter on a good baseball team. Lohse was only able to get through 5 innings, and was backed up by 3 scoreless if shaky relief innings from Neal Cotts and Michael Blazek.
The Brewers got a run against Kershaw in the sixth and should have had a second. Hector Gomez and pinch-hitter Gerardo Parra hit back-to-back triples, but Parra was thrown out trying to get home on a Carlos Gomez ground ball. Kershaw cruised through the 7th and was still under 80 pitches going into the 8th inning with a 3-1 lead. Then Hector Gomez homered on a first pitch fastball with 1 out, and lefty Adam Lind hit a pinch-hit double on a 9-pitch at-bat to chase Kershaw. Carlos Gomez doubled against Chris Hatcher to score Lind and tie the game. Jason Rogers, who started at 1st for Lind, grounded to short which advanced Gomez to 3rd for Ryan Braun. Braun's infield single was upheld after a review and gave the Brewers the lead.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched a clean 9th with 2 strikeouts to give the Brewers their 8th win. It may not have been a real turning point for the season, but it sure felt good.