Jesus Aguilar resurrects bat, mashes pair of homers in 5-1 Brewers victory over Colorado

Box Score

Before today’s game against the Colorado Rockies, manager Craig Counsell was asked about struggling slugger Jesus Aguilar. “We are at the point where we need results,” the skipper told the assembled media.

Milwaukee’s first baseman delivered.

The first inning for the Brewers began with a leadoff double by Lorenzo Cain. Ryan Braun walked with one out to bring Aguilar and his slumbering bat to the plate. On 1-1, opposing starter Kyle Freeland tried to sneak an 85 MPH slider past Zeus, but left it a little too far over the middle. After flailing away for most of the first month of the season, Aguilar didn’t miss this one.

The Brewers would add another run in the first on an RBI single by Orlando Arcia to make their lead 4-0. After going scoreless in the second, Aguilar led off the bottom of the third inning. This time, he took a changeup to the opposite field and deposited it into the beer-pen in right. That was Milwaukee’s fifth — and final — run of the evening. The squad actually went innings four through seven without a baserunner.

Fortunately, that was more than enough support for Milwaukee starter Zach Davies. The team’s lone dependable inital out-getter to this point in the season began the contest with five scoreless frames. He yielded an unearned run in the sixth inning when Arcia bobbled a slow-roller with one out, putting runners on first and second. The next batter David Dahl lined a single that deflected off Davies, and that was the end of his night. He finished with 5.1 innings, 3 hits, the one run (unearned), with three walks and two strikeouts. After today’s outing, Davies’ ERA stands at 1.38 through 32.2 innings pitched.

Alex Claudio threw two scoreless innings after Davies, and then recent call-up Jay Jackson came on to make his Brewers debut and his first MLB appearance since September 2015. He punched out Nolan Arenado on a 92 MPH fastball. That would be the lone batter Jackson faced as southpaw Donnie Hart come on and wound up closing out the contest with 1.1 scoreless frames.

The 5-1 victory gives our local Milwaukee Nine a 16-14 record through 30 games on the year, while the boys from the Mile High City fall to 13-16. These two teams will do this dance again tomorrow at 6:40 PM central, with German Marquez slated to face off against Jhoulys Chacin.