The Milwaukee Brewers got 2 runs in the 8th and the winning run in the 10th as they defeated the Dodgers, 4-3. The loss puts an end to an impressive 5 game winning streak, and also knocks them 1 game back in the NL West with Arizona's win.
The Dodgers continued their great run of scoring in the 1st inning, this time by using the long ball. Matt Kemp started things off with a double, and Andre Ethier cranked one to right for a 2-0 lead. Despite hitting .324 this month, Ethier sat the day before in favor of Juan "For Five" Pierre, so I'm sure he was playing with a chip on his shoulder.
The Brewers fought back in the 2nd with 2 straight singles with 1 down. Mike Cameron reached on an error by Nomar Garciaparra to score Corey Hart, and it was 2-1. And that's the way it would stay for quite awhile.
Neither team could do squat at the plate in innings 3-7. Derek Lowe was out of there after 7, and the normally untouchable Hong-Chih Kuo entered. Except on this night, he got hit around. Ryan Braun greeted him with a double, and J.J. Hardy smacked a 2 run shot to give them the 3-2 lead. I was shocked considering how nasty Kuo has been.
To the Dodgers credit, they fought back in the 9th, with a little help from an error by Hardy. Ethier walked, and Soloman Torres entered. Kent grounded a sure-fire double play ball to Hardy, but it went right through him to put runners on the corners. Manny Ramirez came through with a sac-fly to tie it at 3. After a walk to pinch-hitter Mike Sweeney, the bases were juiced for Casey Blake. But, he popped out, and to extras we go.
I thought the Dodgers were going to win this one considering all of the momentum they had, but it was the Brewers who struck in the 10th on an RBI single by Hardy. Jonathan Broxton got the first 2 hitters out, but an innocent walk at the time to Ray Durham proved costly when he stole 2nd, then scored on the single.
Kemp and Ethier both singled with 1 down in the 10th, but Jeff Kent lined out and Manny K'd to end the game.
It was a good back-and-forth game between 2 possible playoff teams. Lowe was outstanding, going 7 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. He deserved a win, but Dave Bush only gave up 2 runs in 7 innings, so he was very good as well. It was a surprise that Kuo and Broxton were the ones to lose the game, but that doesn't normally happen. They get a mulligan.
With Arizona slapping around the Astros right now, the Dodgers could use a win today to keep pace. Clayton Kershaw will go against Jeff Suppan. 1 guy is a rookie, and the other seems like he's been in the Majors since the '80s. Today's game is on TBS, so enjoy it.
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