Knebel, Arcia combine for a memorable ending to Brewers' comeback against Pirates

The rules don’t allow for it but two saves should have been credited when the Milwaukee Brewers hung on for a pulsating 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

Closer Corey Knebel deserved a pitching save and shortstop Orlando Arcia deserved a fielding save.

Knebel carved out a remarkable piece of strikeout history and Arcia settled for making the continual loop on the web gem circles. Both were amazing in their own way.

Manager Craig Counsell admitted he thought Arcia had no shot at an out when John Jaso sent a grounder up the middle with a runner on second base and two outs.

“I was yelling, ‘Don’t throw it!’” Counsell said. “To myself, that’s what I was thinking.”

But Arcia made a 360-degree turn on the outfield grass and did throw it, without picking up first base visually. Eric Thames, who entered the game in the seventh as a pinch-hitter, made a deft backhand scoop at the other end and the Brewers had the final out of a much-needed victory.

“That’s his play, for sure,” Counsell said of the move he has seen Arcia make many times. “And it took a great play on Thames’ end, too. It was a special play in a huge moment. It looks like he’s throwing it before he gets turned around. He’s really good at that play.”

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BOX SCORE: Brewers 4, Pirates 3

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To get to that moment, Knebel had to battle his butt off. With one down, Pirates leadoff hitter Adam Frazier engaged him in an eight-pitch duel, eventually winning by punching a single to left.

Josh Harrison also made his presence known in a big way, fouling off pitches until Knebel finally blew a 98 mph fastball by him on pitch No. 9. That was Knebel’s first and only strikeout of the inning, allowing him to tie fire-balling Aroldis Chapman for the modern record of recording at least one whiff in each of his first 37 appearances of the season.

Anytime you are in a two-man club with Chapman in this era of baseball, you’re doing something right.

“They had some good at-bats,” Counsell said. “He threw some really good pitches. Harrison had a tremendous at-bat and hit a bunch of foul balls.

“That’s an impressive streak. When you mention a guy like Aroldis Chapman, you take notice. That’s incredible, it really is. It’s a worthy streak that should be talked about.”

Without Arcia’s sensational play, Jaso ties the game and Knebel also has a blown save, marring that accomplishment. So, what did Arcia think as he was attempting the do-or-die maneuver?

“It’s a really tough play in that situation,” he said through translator Carlos Brizuela. “You’re trying to make a perfect throw. You don’t want the ball getting away and the run scoring. You try to make as perfect a throw as you can, and thankfully I was able to do that.

“It was just instinct. I went for it. If I would have seen the base, I would have made a better throw. I just tried to get rid of it as quick as I can.”

It took a nice play on the other end by Thames to complete the gem, and he was still pumped about the whole deal later in the clubhouse.

“I was saying, ‘Oh, no, please don’t be a hit!’” Thames said. “All of a sudden, I see Arcia going for it. I said, ‘There’s no way he’s going to catch that.’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ I go to the bag and he spins and throws.

“Luckily, it was Jaso. He’s an average runner. I know we had time. He made that throw and I was able to hang on to it. It was an amazing play. Everybody is so fired up right now.”

As they should be. With the combination of Knebel’s slice of history and Arcia’s excellence at run prevention, endings don’t get much better than this.