Milwaukee Brewers edge Marlins 3-2 behind 2 homers by Stephen Vogt

WP: Carlos Torres (4-4); LP: David Phelps (2-4 ); Save: Corey Knebel (13) Homeruns: Mia - none; Mil - Stephen Vogt 2 (5, 6)

Box Score

Matt Garza and Edinson Volquez pitched well for the Brewers and Marlins respectively, and Volquez ended up getting the better of it, going six innings of three hit, one run ball. He left with a 2-1 lead, as Garza worked five innings and gave up two runs on six hits. He walked one and fanned three.

The Marlins broke through in the top of the fifth against Garza. Marlins’ catcher J.T. Realmuto legged out a grounder into the hole between first and second, stole second, and scored on a one out double from J.T. Riddle. Riddle took third on a hit from Volquez and scored on a safety squeeze, and the Marlins led 2-0. They loaded the bases with two down, but Garza struck out Marcell Ozuna to end the frame.

The Brewers finally put a run on the board on a one out homer from new catcher Stephen Vogt with one down in the sixth, just the Brewers’ second hit.

Carlos Torres gave Milwaukee two solid innings, allowing only a two out single in the sixth. He struck out Giancarlo Stanton for his final out, and Stanton was not pleased.

Milwaukee Brewers’ newbie Vogt electrified the crowd in the bottom of the seventh with a long two run homer to straight away center, pushing the Brewers to a 3-2 lead. Vogt gave the appreciative crowd a curtain call.

Jacob Barnes had a dominating 1-2-3 eighth with two strikeouts, but Corey Knebel ran into immediate trouble in the top of the ninth. He walked Realmuto on four pitches, and Derek Dietrich doubled into the gap in left center. Hernan Perez made a perfect relay throw to Orlando Arcia, whose throw to the plate just nipped Realmuto at the plate. The call was upheld on replay.

Knebel fanned Riddle, and pinch hitter Martin Prado walked. Dee Gordon was called out on strikes to finally end the ballgame, and Knebel notched his 40th consecutive game with a strikeout, moving ahead of Bruce Sutter for the all-time record for relievers.

The game was marred by several incidents of criminal behavior by “fans” in attendance at Miller Park. Umpire Joe West was hit in the head by a ball thrown by an attendee in the fourth inning on ball four to Travis Shaw. At least two more balls were thrown on the field as the game progressed, those two landing in left field in front of Hernan Perez. One would hope that the guilty parties were apprehended and received a free night’s lodging in jail. There is no place for that in any park, and it is embarrassing to Brewer fans, and baseball fans everywhere.

Tomorrow afternoon the two teams will match up at 3:10 pm, with TV coverage provided by FS1, and not on FSWisconsin. The Brewers (43-39) go with Zach Davies (8-4, 4.98), facing Tom Kohler (1-2, 7.08) for the Marlins (35-43). Milwaukee leads second place Chicago, losers in Cincinnati by a 5-0 score, by two games in the NL Central.

Happy 27th birthday, Jesus Aguilar!