Milwaukee gets a scare late, but holds on 5-4 against Atlanta

Milwaukee came into this afternoon’s game attempting to win a three game series from a very good Atlanta Braves’ club. Chase Anderson took the mound for Milwaukee, and he was outstanding. Dallas Keuchel started for Atlanta, and the Brewers were able to get to him.

Milwaukee got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning. Jesus Aguilar led off the inning by smoking the ball right at Josh Donaldson who was unable to make the play. Manny Pina followed that up by taking a Dallas Keuchel cutter that got a little too much of the plate over the wall in left. The two run shot was the fifth of the season for the Pineapple Express giving the Brew Crew an early 2-0 lead.

The bottom of the sixth proved to be a nice inning for the Brewers. With one out, Dallas Keuchel threw Christian Yelich a cutter that didn’t get down. Yelich hammered the offering into the second deck in left field for his MLB leading 34th home run of the season.

Ryan Braun was up next. He hit a tracer down the right field line. Running like he was 25 again, Braun was able to leg out a triple. Keston Hiura followed with a double to left center, and Braun easily scored on the play. Hiura would score later in the inning when Manny Pina knocked him in with a single. After six innings of play, the Brewers were in command, 5-0.

Milwaukee was cruising along for most of this game. Chase Anderson pitched into the sixth inning. When his day was finished, Anderson pitched 5 ²⁄₃ innings giving up just 1 hit and 0 runs. He struck out 3 and walked 3. Freddy Peralta replaced him in the sixth and was able to get the final out in that inning. Peralta came back out to pitch the seventh and got into some trouble by pitching the bases loaded. He was able to pitch out of trouble without giving up a run, however.

Junior Guerra took over the eighth, and the Braves were able to get to him. Guerra walked Freddy Freeman to lead off the inning. Josh Donaldson next lifted a towering fly ball that stayed just inside the left field foul pole for a two run homer.

Josh Hader took the ninth, and the watching experience was not a pleasant one if you were a Brewers’ fan. Charlie Culberson and Johan Camargo led the inning off with singles. Hander was able to get the next two hitters out, but Freddy Freeman was up next.

Hader struck Freeman out. Unfortunately the slider thrown by Hader had so much break on it that Manny Pina was unable to catch it. Freeman took off for first, and Pina overthrew Aguilar. The bases were now loaded for Josh Donaldson who singled up the middle to make the score 5-4. Luckily Hader was able to strike out Ozzie Albies to end the game and notch his 21st save of the season.

Milwaukee hits the road for a four game series in Arizona. Zach Davies is scheduled to start for the Brew Crew. Merrill Kelly is scheduled to take the mound for the Diamondbacks. The game will be broadcast on WTMJ and Fox Sports Wisconsin. By the way, Keston Hiura can hit.