Milwaukee Brewers Drop Third Straight, Lose to Reds 12-11

Box Score

The Milwaukee Brewers must’ve gotten tired of all the winning they were doing lately, because they dropped their third straight game in a wild affair today with the Reds.

Tommy Milone got the start for the Brewers, but fared only slightly better than Junior Guerra did yesterday. Milone was greeted rudely when Zack Cosart hit his first pitch of the game over the fence and wound up giving up four runs in the first inning. He would last only 3.1 innings, giving up a total of seven earned runs with two walks and three strikeouts. Milone’s ERA now stands at 7.50.

Milwaukee’s offense roared back in the top of the second, scoring five runs after RBIs by Eric Sogard (triple), Orlando Arcia (double), Ivan DeJesus, Jr. (single), and Eric Thames (sac fly). Interestingly, Thames started in right field today while Jesus Aguilar got the start at first base (and went 4-4 to raise his spring OPS to 1.457). Thames came up as an outfielder but played only one inning their during his three seasons in Korea. Craig Counsell said that the move was in relation to how well Aguilar has played this spring, and there are scenarios which could lead Thames to play a little outfield during the regular season. Thames will start again in right field during tomorrow’s game.

Chase Anderson would come on in the fourth inning with Milwaukee trailing 7-5 and pitched a solid game, allowing three runs across 4.1 innings pitched. He allowed seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

Manny Pina, who along with Jhan Marinez has already been told he’ll make the team, continues to do everything he can to try and win the Opening Day catching gig. He hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, his fourth of the spring, and is now sporting a 1.246 OPS.

The Brewers were trailing, 10-8, when the game entered the top of the ninth. Jacob Ehret was called upon to close the game for Cincinnati but had some control issues, walking three batters including one with the bases loaded to force in a run. Nate Orf followed with a bases loaded double to score another two runs and give the Brewers an 11-10 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Hiram Burgos, fresh off winning the silver medal with Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, came on in the bottom of the frame to try and seal the game for Milwaukee. He allowed two singles before recording his first out, and then walked Shed Long to load the bases with one out. After inducing an infield pop-up for the second out, Arismendy Alcantra doubled to center field to score two runs and give the Reds the walk-off victory by a score of 12-11.

Today’s loss drops Milwaukee’s record to 14-13-1. They face off against the Royals tomorrow on the road at Surprise Stadium at 3:05 PM CST. Wily Peralta is scheduled to start opposite of Ian Kennedy and the game will be broadcast on the Brewers Radio Network.