Brewers shut out Dodgers 4-0 for 2-1 series lead

WP: Jhoulys Chacin (1-0); LP: Walker Buehler (0-1); Save: none; Homeruns: Mil - Orlando Arcia (2); LA - none

ooohh...this is an “it’s getting exciting” Box Score

The Milwaukee Brewers used their pitching again to win a post-season game, shutting out the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 behind Jhoulys Chacin and four relievers, taking a 2-1 lead in their best of seven series with the LA. The Crew made the most of their scoring opportunities against Walker Buehler scoring four on just five hits off the righty.

The Brewers once again got more than they could have hoped for from their starting pitcher. Chacin worked into the sixth, allowing no runs on three hits with one intentional and one unintentional walk, and six strikeouts.

Jhoulys had a perfect first, but ran into trouble in the second. Manny Machado smoked a single into left but was erased on a fielder’s choice from Cody Bellinger. Yasiel Puig doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one down. Chacin got perhaps his biggest out of the night when he fanned Yasmani Grandal on a high fastball. With Buehler on deck the Crew intentionally walked Kike’ Hernandez, and Buehler obliged by striking out to end the inning.

The bottom of the fourth saw a lead-off walk to Machado, and Bellinger again hit into a force out, but Machado was called for interference on his slide, after a challenge from Craig Counsell. It was really and easy call, and resulted in a double play.

In the fifth Grandal dumped a bloop ground rule double the opposite way leading off the inning, but Jhoulys retired the next three to escape the inning unscathed.

In the meantime, the Brewers had moved up 1-0. After a Lorenzo Cain strikeout leading off the game, Christian Yelich walked. Ryan Braun whistled a double down the left field line on a hanging slider, and Yeli was flying around the bases and score easily for that 1-0 lead.

The Crew doubled the lead in the top of the sixth. With two down Travis Shaw narrowly missed a homerun on a drive to center, and he also narrowly missed an out as Bellinger misplayed the ball and arrive late, just missing on his leap. Buehler spiked a curve ball that bounced away from Grandal and down the third base line, with Shaw scoring easily. 2-0 Milwaukee.

Chacin got the first out in the sixth but Mike Moustakas committed a two base error on a grounder from Justin Turner. I don’t know that Jhoulys would have faced Machado anyways, as he has looked dialed in with his hit and then a walk, so Counsell went with Corey Knebel. Machado ripped a grounder that Moose made a nice play on for the second out, and then Bellinger fanned to end the frame.

With one down in the top of the seventh Erik Kratz and Orlando Arcia once again provided great at bats from the bottom of the order. Kratzy doubled down the third base line, and then Lando took a high fastball out to right for a two run dinger and a 4-0 lead. Great Googly Moogly!

Arcia is now tied for the lead in homers in the post season. Goodness. His three are as many in the NLDS and NLCS as he hit in the entire regular season.

Knebel finished his night by fanning the side in the bottom of the inning.

After a scoreless eighth for Milwaukee, Joakim Soria came in to face Chris Taylor and got him on a foul pop to first. Josh Hader then came in (to the consternation of John Smoltz and Joe Buck) to face Joc Pederson and Max Muncy...and of course Dave Roberts went with his righties. Josh struck out David Freese and Matt Kemp, hitting the upper nineties and blowing both of them away. Eight pitches, and his night was done - and he’ll be available tomorrow night.

Counsell went with Jeremy Jeffress in the ninth (another move that had all of the commentators up in arms), and it was every bit the reincarnation of TPOT. A single by Turner and double from Machado put runners on second and third, but Bellinger popped out to Arcia at short. Yasiel Puig play-acted his way through a four pitch walk, with histrionics about getting the ball over the plate. Two of the four pitches were strikes, but whatevs. JJ responded by striking out Grandal and Brian Dozier to end the game.

Tomorrow the Dodgers go with lefty Rich Hill, and the Brewers will have Gio Gonzalez.