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WP: Jimmy Nelson (4-3); LP: Ty Blach (4-3); Save: Corey Knebel (7); Homeruns: SF - Buster Posey (8); Mil - Domingo Santana (11), Jonathan Villar (6)
The Milwaukee Brewers played a solid game at Miller Park tonight, doubling up the San Francisco Giants 6-3. Jimmy Nelson out-pitched Ty Blach and notched his fourth win of the season. Three solid, no-hit innings of relief were a welcome respite from recent bullpen meltdowns, and the Giants ended the evening with just six hits, two walks, and ten strikeouts.
Milwaukee scored - again - in the first inning, this time on Domingo Santana’s eleventh homer of the season. The Brewers have outscored their opposition 56-17 in the first inning this year, which is kinda ridiculous. But don’t look at the late inning differentials.
Jimmy Nelson struggled tonight, and the Giants broke through for three in the top of the third. After a strikeout, Edwin Nunez singled and stole second. Brandon Belt’s double plated Nunez, and Buster Posey’s homer high off of the batting eye in center untied things, putting the Giants up 3-1.
Jimmy worked three more innings, giving up two hits and a hit batter but no more runs. He gutted this one out without the stuff he’s had the last couple of times out. Nelson’s final line was 6 innings, 7 hits, 3 earned runs, a walk, and 6 k’s. His last pitch ended a two on, one out sixth with a 6-4-3 double play. Nicely done.
Meanwhile, the Brewers continued to chip away at Blach. They tied things up in the bottom of the fourth with two singles, a double, and a sacrifice fly for two runs to tie it up. Shaw drove in Aguilar, who had singled, and an Hernan Perez double and a sacrifice fly from Manny Pina brought home the tying run.
The bottom of the fifth saw the Brewers take the lead for good. With two down, Santana singled and Jesus Aguilar’s double down the rightfield line brought Sunday all the way around to score for a 4-3 lead.
Milwaukee scored BMIRs in the sixth and seventh, with doubles from Pina and Orlando Arcia in the sixth and a homer from Jonathan Villar in the seventh providing a 6-3 lead. Villar also had a two out triple in the bottom of the third, but was stranded. Nice to see production out of the lead-off spot from Villar!
Jarrod Huges worked a perfect seventh - his second 1-2-3 inning in a row, Jacob Barnes worked around a one out walk with two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice. Corey Knebel’s perfect ninth for his sixth save finalized the 6-3 win. Knebel fanned two, giving him a strikeout in his first 31 appearances this season. The major league record is 37 by Aroldis Chapman.
The Brewers (32-28) move a game up on the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central with the Cubs 6-5 loss to the Florida Marlins at Wrigley Field. Tomorrow’s series finale has the Giants (24-37) sending out Johnny Cueto (5-5, 4.38) to face Milwaukee’s Paolo Espino (0-0, 4.50), making his second major league appearance and second start.