Brewers run out of bodies and innings in loss to Diamondbacks
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- After battling back in the 9th inning to tie the game, the Brewers had no available position players left in an attempted comeback in the 11th inning in an 8-7 11 inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Down 8-6 in the bottom of the 11th, Jonathan Lucroy singled in a run making it 8-7 and leaving runners on 1st and 3rd with only 1 out. With Ryan Braun standing in the on deck circle Rickie Weeks struck out looking for the 2nd out of the inning. Braun, however, was unavailable to hit with a stiff neck and the Brewers were out of position players on the bench. So manager Ron Roenicke sent Kyle Lohse up to the plate and he too went down on strikes ending the threat and the game.
One of the reasons the Brewers were short players on Sunday was that Jean Segura left in the 5th inning after being injured in the top of the 3rd inning. Martin Prado slid into him at 2nd base to break up a double play. The hard sliding Prado hit Segura just above the left knee and left him writhing in pain next to the base for minutes. The Brewers would say he has a contusion and will be day to day.
Later in the inning, Brewers starting pitcher, Yovani Gallardo gave up 2 runs on a single to Paul Goldschmidt which gave Arizona a 2-0 lead. But that lead was short lived as Norichika Aoki ripped a 2 run double to center in the bottom of the inning tying the game at 2.
The Brewers took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the 4th when Alex Gonzalez took and Ian Kennedy pitch over the left field wall for a solo home run giving the Brewers a 3-2 lead.
In the 6th, Gallardo found himself in trouble again when Jason Kubel doubled to left scoring Miguel Montero to tie the game at 3 and sending Goldschmidt to 3rd. After Eric Chavez walked, Chad Pennington's sacrifice fly scored Goldschmidt as the Diamondbacks retook the lead at 4-3. Gallardo would go 6 innings, allowing 4 earned runs, striking out 3 and walking 2.
Burke Badenhop replaced Gallardo in the 7th and immediately got in trouble as Aaron Hill followed a Prado single with a 2 run home run extending the Diamondbacks lead to 6-3.
Milwaukee would add a run on a fielder's choice in the 7th.
It wasn't until the 9th when the Brewers would be able to come back. On his bobble head day at Miller Park, Aoki singled and drove in his 3rd run of the game cutting the lead to 6-5. After an Aoki stolen base and a Carlos Gomez fielder's choice, Lucroy singled home Aoki to tie the game at 6 and send it to extra innings.
John Axford pitched a perfect 10th inning and came on again in the 11th. That's when Manasha's Eric Hinske greeted him with a towering 2 run home run to center field making it 8-6 Arizona and handing Axford the loss.
The Brewers drop to 1-5 on the season and will head out on the road Monday when they face the Cubs at Wrigley Field for their home opener.