Brewers 8, Marlins 4: Big second inning is enough

A lucky break went a long way in helping the Milwaukee Brewers to victory Saturday afternoon.

Giancarlo Stanton was unable to complete a home-run-robbing catch on a drive to right field by Domingo Santana in the second inning, and that opened the door to a seven-run outburst as the Brewers went on to beat the Miami Marlins, 8-4, at Miller Park.

Milwaukee scored just once more in the game, on an Orlando Arcia homer in the fifth, but the seven-spot was more than enough as the Brewers won their third consecutive game as well as the series from the Marlins.

The victory, combined with a Chicago Cubs loss, extended the Brewers' lead to three games in the National League Central as the calendar turned to July.

"We have a pretty good team," Santana said. "I know we're a long (way) from the season being over, so we just have to go out there and just play and try to win ballgames every day.

"I think we’re going to be where we want to be at the end of the season if we keep doing what we’ve been doing."

What they've done better than every team in the NL is hit homers, and Santana's was a memorable one. 

It came with Milwaukee already in a 2-0 hole after a two-out, two-RBI double by Justin Bour in the first. Starter Zach Davies threw 28 pitches in the inning, with Miami swinging just four times.

Marlins starter Tom Koehler, who was making his first major-league appearance in six weeks, walked Travis Shaw to open the Brewers' second. That brought up Santana,  who fell behind in the count, 0-2, before sending a high fly ball to right field.

The ball carried to the wall, where the 6-foot-6 Stanton leaped and actually gloved the ball – but only momentarily. Replays showed it hit in the pocket and then rolled up and out of the web, landing just over the fence to the delight of the crowd.

Santana could be seen smiling as he rounded the bases, knowing his 14th homer of the season was a lucky one.

"I was just glad I put it in play," Santana said. "I was 0-2, so I was just glad I put some barrel on it.

"After I hit it, I was just hoping he’d drop it."

Stanton, meanwhile, could only grab his head in disbelief.

"Yeah, I had it. Then I didn’t have it," he said. "Then the fans had it."

It was definitely some poetic justice for the Brewers, who were robbed of a likely three-run Stephen Vogt homer in an eventual one-run loss in Cincinnati on Thursday night.

"I think that's the first thing I said was, 'Now we're even,' " manager Craig Counsell said.

BOX SCORE:Brewers 8, Marlins 4

NOTES:Jimmy Nelson missed bats at a high rate in June

MLB: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, schedules

"It certainly wasn't an easy catch. It would have been a great play. I'm not sure the ball would have gotten out actually if for some reason he can't get his glove on it, but he's leaping at the fence.

"It was a tough play and we caught a break there."

The floodgates opened after that as Milwaukee sent 11 more batters to the plate in the inning, and nearly everyone chipped in with solid at-bats.

Davies put the Brewers ahead at 3-2 with a fielder's choice when he poked a grounder to first base and Vogt slid in to score. Jonathan Villar followed with an RBI single and three batters later Shaw added a two-RBI single in his second plate appearance of the frame to make it 6-2.

After Santana walked to load the bases again, Koehler was lifted for Vance Worley, who walked Vogt to up Milwaukee's lead to 7-2.

Keon Broxton struck out twice in the inning, for the first and third outs, and the Brewers were left a run shy of their biggest inning of the season.

The offense has been contagious, Santana said.

"It’s been really good," he said. "It’s been trusting the next guy, trying to have good at-bats, seeing pitches, taking information and sharing it. That means a lot to all of us, and especially young hitters.

"That’s really been working out for everybody."

Miami got a pair back from Davies in the third, with Ryan Braun's misread of a fly ball in left with two outs allowing the second run to score. The roof opened during the inning, allowing abundant sunshine to spill onto the field.

But Davies hit his stride after that, retiring the final 10 batters he faced to get through six innings on 105 pitches. The right-hander allowed five hits, four runs (earned) and two walks while striking out five.

D'AMATO:Corey Knebel gives Brewers edge at closing time

HAUDRICOURT:Waiver claims are part of Brewers' rebuilding process

AROUND THE BASES:This week in MLB

MLB:Power rankings

Davies improved to 9-4, but his earned-run average stands at 5.03 as he continues to search for consistency.

"I like where things are going," he said. "I'm happy with the adjustments I've been making and the way I've pitched the last few outings.

"Hopefully the numbers will turn around a little bit, but at the same time we're winning and that's the biggest thing."

Arcia tacked a run onto Milwaukee's lead with a first-pitch homer off Nick Wittgren in the fifth that made it 8-4.

Rookie left-hander Josh Hader relieved Davies and after allowing the first two hitters to reach emerged from the jam unscathed, getting Dee Gordon to foul out, shattering Stanton's bat on a comebacker and then striking out Christian Yelich on three pitches.

"That's really the first inning he's kind of been in a jam," Counsell said. "To get out of that scoreless, it's a big deal because obviously, that keeps Corey (Knebel) out of the game.

"He made some quality pitches to some good hitters to get Gordon, Stanton and Yelich. Three straight with not letting their guys score. That's good stuff."

Jared Hughes and Oliver Drake also pitched scoreless innings to finish it up.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

* Shaw and Jimmy Nelson were named the Brewers player and pitcher of the month for June, respectively.

Shaw – who also won the award in May – hit .279 with eight homers and 21 RBI while Nelson went 3-1 with a 2.88 earned-run average and 50 strikeouts in six starts.

* The Brewers hit 49 homers in June, tying a franchise record set in September 2007. They also hit 45 in April, a total that is tied for fourth in team annals.

A homer by Justin Smoak of Toronto on Friday was the 1,070th round-tripper of the month in the major leagues, setting a record as well.

"There's something going on, let's just put it that way," Counsell said, speaking of the homer surge in general. "Things generally don't change this fast. In some ways we've led ourselves to this point where we've de-emphasized the strikeout. If you're going to do that, the home run is going to become more important.

"It's a different game. The runs are scoring largely via the home run, and that changes a lot about the game."

STAT SHEET

* The Brewers have homered in six straight games, 17 of their last 18 and 12 straight at Miller Park.

* Shaw has reached base in seven straight games, amassing a .483 on-base percentage in that span. He also has 15 multi-RBI games, a career high.

TAKEAWAY

Stanton's failed catch attempt helped open the door to the game-clinching inning for the Brewers. Davies got better as the day went along, and the once-maligned bullpen has suddenly gotten things together.

RECORD

This year: 44-39 (23-22 home; 21-17 away)

Last year: 37-46

ATTENDANCE

Saturday: 30,712

2017 total: 1,284,186 (28,537 avg.)

Last year: 1,287,389 (28,608 avg.)

NEXT GAME

Sunday: Brewers vs. Marlins, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Junior Guerra (1-2, 4.54) vs. Miami RHP Dan Straily (5-4, 3.44). TV - FS Wisconsin. Radio - AM-620.