Milwaukee Brewers 8-run fifth keys 11-4 win over New York Mets

WP: Zach Davies (4-1); LP: Robert Gsellman (2-3); Save: none; HR: Mets, Neil Walker (4); Mil., Travis Shaw (8)

Box Score

The Milwaukee Brewers turned a tight contest into a rout in a hurry tonight, using an eight run fifth to bury the Mets 11-4. Neither starter was particularly effective, but Zach Davies was more-so, earning his fourth win of the season. Met’s youngster Robert Gsellman played with fire much of the evening and finally flamed out in said fifth. His line ended with four plus innings, nine hits allowed, six runs allowed (five earned), with three walks and two strikeouts. Seven of the last ten hitters to face Gsellman reached base.

The decisive fifth was presaged by the fourth for the Brewers, even though they didn’t tally any runs in that previous inning. Milwaukee forced Gsellman to work hard, using a single and two walks to load the bases with two down but couldn’t push any across when Hernan Perez flew out to the warning track in right center.

The Mets had no such luck stifling the Brewers in the fifth. The first six batters for the crew reached base, and they might still be batting if Domingo Santana hadn’t been called out on a steal attempt with two down. Travis Shaw led off the fifth with a solid single to left, and he finished the scoring with a three run homer deep to right off of reliever Hansel Robles. Santana also reached twice in the fifth, with a walk and single. Orlando Arcia had an odd two run single with the bases loaded; his liner went off the wall in left, not missing a grand slam by much. In all, the Brewers collected five singles, a double, Shaw’s homer, two walks, and the eight runs. The Brewers haven’t scored eight in an inning since 2013, as reported on the FSWisconsin broadcast.

Milwaukee scored the game’s first run in the bottom half of the inning number one. Perez doubled with two down and came around to score on Shaw’s base hit up the middle. Santana followed Shaw’s hit with a single as well, but Jett Bandy fanned looking to end the inning.

The Mets plated three off of Davies in the top of the second. After a lead-off strikeout, New York strung together two singles, a walk, a double, and a groundout to take a 3-1 lead. Zach struggled throughout his start, allowing seven hits in five innings, with four runs (all earned). He walked one, struck out two, and hit two batters. He ended just shy of 100 pitches. The Mets’ fourth run off of Davies came in the top of the fifth when Neil Walker hit his second homer of the series into centerfield.

Milwaukee got scoreless innings from Jared Hughes (sixth) and Jacob Barnes (seventh), before turning it over to Rob Scahill in the eighth. Barnes’ outing was encouraging after his recent struggles, working a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. Scahill worked two shutout innings for the second outing in a row.

The Brewers’ scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second when Asdrubal Cabrera booted Arcia’s groundball and then committed a second error on the play when he threw the ball into the Milwaukee dugout with one down. After Davies’ groundout moved Arcia to third, Jonathan Villar delivered a two out single the opposite way to make it 3-2 Mets. Walker’s homer made it 4-2 before the Crew’s eight spot made it 10-4 after five.

Milwaukee moved it to 11-4 in the bottom of the seventh. Jesus Aguilar entered the game as a pinch hitter in the fateful fifth, doubling in two runs. In the bottom of the seventh Aguilar tripled (take THAT, Aramis Ramirez!) leading off the inning and scored on Villar’s second RBI single. Aguilar had taken over at first for Eric Thames, who’s quiet night included two walks in four appearances and a run scored.

The Brewers had a season high sixteen hits, and Santana and Shaw had three each. Shaw had four RBI, lifting his team-leading total to 30.

Sunday’s Mother’s Day game starts at 1:10 pm, and the Mets (16-19) will send ace-by-default Jacob DeGrom (2-1, 3.80) out to try and salvage one win in the series. Milwaukee’s Wily Peralta (4-2, 5.30) will lead the charge for the sweep, as the second place Brewers (20-17, three over .500 for the first time since September of 2014 - again courtesy of FSWisconsin) try and move into a tie with the Cards for first. St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs will play the rubber match of a three game set with the series tied at one apiece.