Brewers slam Phillies, 12-3

WP: Brent Suter (6-4); LP: Jake Arrieta (5-4); Save: none; Home runs: Mil - Jesus Aguilar (11), Ji-Man Choi (2), Jonathan Villar (5); Phi - Rhys Hoskins (7)

A box score chock full’a fun

A tense, one run game quickly turned into a Milwaukee Brewer (39-25) rout in Philadelphia today, as the Crew put up eight runs in the sixth and seventh innings to again pummel the Phillies (32-30), this time 12-3.

The key inning was the sixth. The Brewers had nine at bats against Phils’ starter Jake Arrieta without being able to get a hit, but a one-out catcher’s interference for Ryan Braun started the winning rally. Arrieta walked Jonathon Villar which prompted a visit from Phillies’ manager and former Brewer Gabe Kapler. Arrieta convinced Kap that he was fine, then hit Erik Kratz (for the second time) to load the bases.

Kapler then made his move, bringing in Luis Garcia. Garcia made Orlando Arcia look bad, striking him out on three pitches, but had less success with Choi. Ji-Man lined an opposite field grand salami down the left-field line on a 3-2 pitch, just over the 329’ sign and suddenly a one run deficit was a three run lead. Milwaukee coasted to the win from there.

The Brewers struck first against Arrieta, Christian Yelich singled (the first of three hits) with one down in the first, and Jesus Aguilar also had an opposite field dinger, a few rows into the seats in right for a 2-0 lead.

Philadelphia put together pretty much all of their offense for the day in the bottom of the third against Brewers starter Brent Suter. Suter allowed no hits and a walk in the first two innings, but two singles (the second a dropped pop up in center for Arcia) were followed by a three run bomb to left by Rhys Hoskins. Suter got the last two in the third and allowed no more runs on one hit over the fourth and fifth. Brent came out when Choi pinch hit for him in the sixth...although I’m sure Suter would have done the same thing.

With Milwaukee on top 6-3 into the seventh, the Phils went with Adam Morgan to start the inning. He fooled only Travis Shaw (who tapped out to the pitcher). Otherwise, he gave up a Yelich single, Aguilar double, Ryan Braun single, and Villar homerun. That put Milwaukee up 10-3 and changed Craig Counsell’s bullpen management schedule.

Josh Hader had the sixth with the Crew up 6-3, and he had a 1-2-3 inning with only one strikeout. The four run seventh ended Hader’s day and brought in Taylor Williams. Taylor duplicated Josh’s line, and Dan Jennings had a scoreless eighth with a hit, a walk, a strikeout, and a double play.

The Brewers added a couple of runs in the ninth on a lead-off triple by Braun (narrowly missed on a dive in right by Nick Williams) and a tapper back to the mound by Kratz. Phillies’ pitcher Tommy Hunter knocked it down and had no play at the plate on Braun, and his throw to first hand-cuffed Carlos Santana and went into right, with Kratz taking second. After a pop-out to right by Arcia, Hernan Perez singled to center, plating Kratz. (Kratz was one for three with the two HBPs, two runs, and the RBI).

That brought on Boone Logan and a rain shower, sending the remaining fans scattering for shelter. Santana hit a bloop to left to lead off the inning that Braun took a circuitous route to, then missed on an ill-advised dive. Santana ended up on second with a “double”. Maikel Franco’s bid for a pinch homer stayed in the park (it would probably have left Miller Park) for out number one, and then Boone had a walk and hit-by-pitch to load ‘em up. With the rain having abated, Logan got out number two on a pop-up to Lorenzo Cain in short center, and finally ended the game on a flyball to left.

Milwaukee goes with Brandon Woodruff (2-0, 6.05) Sunday afternoon, up from AAA Colorado Springs. He will face the Phils’ Zach Elfin (2-2, 3.74). Milwaukee has won this series, ending a two-series skid, and will try for the sweep at 12:30 pm.