Brewers 4, Giants 3: Two runs in seventh prove the difference in see-saw contest

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Brewers catcher Manny Pina shows the home-plate umpire the ball after tagging out Nick Hundley of the Giants, who was thrown out by Hernan Perez as he tried to score from second on a two-out single to right in the eighth inning on Tuesday night.

SAN FRANCISCO – Baseball is a nine-inning game but the two runs the Milwaukee Brewers scored in the seventh inning Tuesday night were huge for more than one reason.

Those runs erased a one-run deficit and set the stage for the Brewers to take a 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.

Beyond putting the Brewers on top, the seventh-inning runs allowed them to escape a statistical trend that has worked decidedly against them. When trailing after seven innings this season, the Brewers have a 1-45 record.

The lone victory came on Mother's Day when Manny Piña's three-run homer in the eighth capped an 11-9 comeback over the Mets.

BOX SCORE:Brewers 4, Giants 3

NOTES:Counsell believes youth has worked for Brewers in playoff race.

MLB: Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, schedules

Ryan Braun tied the game in the seventh with a sacrifice fly off reliever Albert Suarez and Travis Shaw followed with a run-scoring double with two down to put the Brewers on top to stay.

The victory allowed the Brewers to stay 2 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago in the NL Central. They are three games behind Colorado for the second wild-card spot.

Travis Shaw rips a double down the right-field line with two outs in the top of the seventh inning that scores Neil Walker with the go-ahead run for the Brewers against the Giants on Tuesday night in San Francisco.

"We're at the point in the season where we're going to say every win is big," manager Craig Counsell said. "Every night is important. We need to keep pace. We're chasing."

The Giants had a chance to tie the game in the eighth but Hernán Pérez, who had replaced Domingo Santana in right field, threw out Nick Hundley at the plate, trying to score on Denard Span's two-out single.

"I gotta give it to 'HP' tonight," Counsell said of Peréz's throw. "He made a smart throw. He knew he had time, so he just made sure he got it there any way he could. It was a huge play, obviously. It did help that a catcher was running but 'HP' also made a good throw. With a faster runner, he probably makes a more aggressive throw."

Counsell removed rookie lefty Josh Hader after he struck out Pablo Sandoval to open the eighth. Hader faced four batters and struck out three but Counsell said he preferred right-hander Anthony Swarzak with right-handed hitters coming up, including pinch-hitter Hundley, who singled.

Eventually, the left-handed-hitting Span made it to the plate and delivered a single but Pérez came through with his big throw to keep the Brewers on top.

"I was trying to get rid of the ball quickly," Pérez said. "I knew it was Hundley at second base and he doesn't run very good. I just wanted to make a good throw. When I don't start, I try to stay prepared. I know they may need me at one moment in the game."

One night after being only the second shutout victims of the Giants’ pitching staff this season, the Brewers struggled to score against right-hander Jeff Samardzija. In six innings, he held them to six hits and two runs, only one of which was earned.

After scoring on a two-out single by Keon Broxton in the second inning, the Brewers missed a golden opportunity for another run in the third. Eric Thames led off with a towering blast to right-center that hit high off the tall brick wall at the 421-foot mark, forcing him to settle for a triple.

"I couldn't believe that ball didn't go out," Thames said. "Off the bat, I said, 'That's out of here.' Then I saw it went off the brick (wall), so I kicked it into gear. That's like three triples in the last five days. I need home runs, not triples. At least, I hit it hard."

With Thames on third and no outs, the Brewers appeared in good shape with Neil Walker, Braun and Shaw the next three hitters. But Walker flied out to shallow left, Braun popped out to short and Shaw grounded out to third, stranding Thames and leaving the score tied, 1-1.

The Brewers took the lead on a gift run in the fourth. With two down, Eric Sogard singled to right and came all the way around to score when rightfielder Gorkys Hernandez, a late sub for ailing Hunter Pence, muffed Broxton’s deep drive for an error.

Jimmy Nelson struggled through his five-inning start and was fortunate to get by with only three runs allowed. The Giants loaded the bases with one down in the second and pushed a run across on Hernandez’s infield hit, forcing Nelson to strike out Samardzija and retire Span on a grounder to hold it there.

After a 1-2-3 third inning, Nelson found more trouble in the fourth when Pablo Sandoval singled with one down, Ryder Jones was hit by a pitch and Kelby Tomlinson singled to center to load the bases.

Again, Nelson struck out Samardzija, then escaped when Span hit a screamer right at first baseman Thames for the third out.

Nelson retired the first two batters in the fifth before walking Buster Posey. He then made a mistake with a 1-1 changeup to Brandon Crawford, who crushed it out to right-center for a two-run homer that put the Giants on top, 3-2.

"I didn't go deep enough," Nelson said. "The bullpen did a great job picking me up. And we got some big hits down the stretch.

"I was frustrated with my outing. I expect much more from myself. I feel like I should go deep in every game. The biggest thing was that most if not all of the runs in my last few outings have been with two outs. So, just finishing the inning (is important). I wasn't as frustrated by the homer by Crawford as the two-out walk to Posey."

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

* Sogard, whose playing time decreased significantly because of a second-half slump and the acquisition of 2B Neil Walker, started at shortstop. Sogard was 4 for 9 against Samardzija.

“I still think it’s important to keep guys who have helped us, and will continue to help us, involved,” manager Craig Counsell said. “He hasn’t started a game in a while, and I want to keep these guys all involved. That’s how we got here, and Sogie has done a good job for us.”

Sogard had a nice night at the plate, going 2 for 3 with a walk and run scored.

* In the Giants’ original lineup, Pence was playing right field and batting second. Pence was scratched before the game with left hamstring tightness, so Tomlinson moved up from eighth to second, and Hernandez started in right.

STAT SHEET

* Due to a scoring change after the Brewers’ 2-0 loss to the Giants on Monday, both of the runs charged to starter Zach Davies were unearned. Walker was given an error on a force-play flip from shortstop Orlando Arcia.

* The Brewers began the night with a .236 team batting average with runners in scoring position, which ranked 26th among the 30 big-league clubs.

TAKEAWAY

This time of year, they don't ask how you win, they ask how many. After the opening loss in the series, the Brewers needed to bounce back with a victory, and they did so. It certainly wasn't easy but that's the way it works.

RECORD

This year: 66-61 (35-30 home; 31-31 away)

Last year: 56-71

NEXT GAME

Wednesday: Brewers at Giants, 2:45 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Matt Garza (6-7, 4.81) vs. San Francisco LHP Jeff Matt Moore (4-12, 5.54). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: AM-620.