Late rally falls short as Brewers sweep Pirates
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Prince Fielder hit a looping single that scored Geoff Jenkins in the eighth inning Wednesday night and lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. A highly regarded prospect who became the Brewers’ starting first baseman when the team traded Lyle Overbay in the offseason, Fielder was 0-for-9 with seven strikeouts this year when he walked in the second to reach base for the first time this season.
Fielder, the son of former major leaguer Cecil Fielder, was dropped from fifth to seventh in the lineup Wednesday by Brewers manager Ned Yost, who wanted to take some pressure off of him.
Brewers closer Derrick Turnbow let Pittsburgh load the bases with two outs in the ninth, then got Chris Duffy to pop out to record his third save.
Pittsburgh’s Jason Bay tied the score at 2-2 in the sixth, driving a home run off a beer sign high in center field. It was one of relatively few missteps by starter Tomo Ohka, who gave up two runs – one earned – and five hits in seven innings.
Pirates starter Zach Duke pitched out of bases-loaded jams in each of the first two innings, settling down to retire eight straight batters before giving up a home run to J.J. Hardy in the fifth.
Hardy took a 2-1 pitch high to left field, tying the score at 1-1. It was the second home run of the season for Hardy, who only hit one home run in 187 at-bats before the All-Star game as a rookie last season.
Two batters later, Carlos Lee doubled off the right-field wall past the outstretched glove of Jeromy Burnitz. Lee then scored on a throwing error by shortstop Jack Wilson, giving the Brewers a 2-1 lead.
Duke loaded the bases with one out in the first, then struck out Bill Hall and got Rickie Weeks to pop out.
It was a rough second inning for Jenkins, who misplayed a fly ball in right that allowed Bay to score for a 1-0 Pittsburgh lead.
Jenkins came to the plate with two out and the bases loaded in the bottom half of the second inning, but struck out.
NOTES: After some grumbling from players about the bright green background color used in the electronic scoreboards on the left-field wall, the color was changed to a more subdued blue Wednesday night. “Again, we’re just experimenting with stuff,” Yost said. … Former major leaguer Jeff Blauser makes his managing debut with the Double-A Mississippi Braves on Thursday – against Brewers ace Ben Sheets, who is rehabilitating from a shoulder injury. Blauser left his old buddy Yost a sarcastic thanks-a-lot phone message. “I said, don’t worry about it,” Yost said. “He’s only going to throw about 50 pitches. That’s about six innings, and then he’ll be done.”