Brewers blast Braves 10-3, Aguilar homers twice

WP: Junior Guerra (6-5); LP: Sean Newcomb (8-4); Save: none; Homeruns: Atl - none; Mil - Hernan Perez (6), Jesus Aguilar 2 (22), Eric Thames (14)

A nice, juicy Box Score

The Milwaukee Brewers (54-36) used the long ball to cap a 6-1 home stand with a decisive 10-3 win over the Atlanta Braves (50-39) this afternoon at Miller Park. Homeruns were the story of the day, as the Brewers hit four to account for eight of their runs. The Brewers took three of four from Atlanta, the top teams in the NL East.

Junior Guerra started and got the win with six innings of one run ball. Juni G didn’t have his best stuff or best command, but he battled and kept the Braves to just one run. Guerra allowed six hits, walked three, and struck out three. Milwaukee turned three double plays for him, and the Braves left seven on base. Dansby Swanson doubled leading off the fifth inning and scored from third when shortstop Travis Saladino dropped a pop-up down the leftfield line. A subsequent single by Ozzie Albies made the run earned.

Dan Jennings pitched his fourth scoreless inning of the series in the seventh, although this time he gave up a single and a walk. Taylor Williams was perfect in the eighth with a strikeout, but Jacob Barnes was again hit, this time allowing two runs on a walk, single, and double in the top of the ninth.

Milwaukee put up a five spot in the bottom of the third for the second time in the series, giving the Crew a comfort level for the rest of the game. Jonathan Villar singled leading off the inning and stole second and was driven in on a single to right by Christian Yelich. Lorenzo Cain, back from the DL, looped a single to right and Atlanta wisely loaded the bases by walking Aguilar.

Travis Shaw lifted a sac fly to left, and Charlie Culberson threw wildly to the plate, allowing the other two runners to move up. That turned out not to matter when Hernan Perez drilled a high fastball well out to center, and it was five zip Milwaukee.

Brewer bats went silent until two down in the seventh when Aguilar took a two strike fastball from Sam Freeman out on a line to right for his 21st dinger of the season. Freeman then allowed a single and two walks before being lifted for Evan Phillips, who retired Erik Kratz for the final out. 6-1 Crew.

Phillips had the bottom of the eighth as well and first faced Eric Thames who drilled a pinch hit homerun 464’ into the top of the right field stands for a six run lead. Villar doubled to left, Yelich walked, Cain had a fielder’s choice, and Aguilar had another two strike homer, this time pulled to left, for the final three runs.

Game Notes:

• Ender Inciarte hit the pop-up that Saladino dropped down the line in left, but he didn’t run hard and only got to first base. Braves’ manager Brian Snitker removed Inciarte from the game after the inning ended.
• Lorenzo Cain participated in one of the Brewers’ double plays, when Inciarte took off from first on a medium flyball to right center and LoCain threw him out in a 0-0 game.
• The other two double plays were on 3-6-3 balls nicely turned by Aguilar.
• Milwaukee committed three errors today, including a first inning bobble by Cain on a single that allowed Freeman to take third, Saladino, and a wild throw from Travis Shaw in the sixth.
• The Brewers have switched the positioning of their ball boy. For as long as I can remember he was positioned next to the Brewer dugout; he’s now by the visiting dugout. I’m not sure when or why this happened; I’ve noticed it for a while now. Several players still automatically toss the ball the wrong way.
• Milwaukee improves to 6-0 with Nate Orf on the roster.

The Cubs tipped the Reds 6-5 in ten innings, so the Brewers’ lead remains at 1.5 games. Milwaukee travels to Miami for three with the Marlins, who have the worst record in the National League. With how good the Cubs are going, the Brewers realize they can’t let up at all. Game one has Chase Anderson (6-4, 3.99 ERA) trying to extend the Crew’s winning ways. The Marlins send out Jose Urena (2-9, 4.18 ERA).