Brewers 6, Marlins 5: Fantastic at-bat by Jesus Aguilar culminates with walk-off home run

It was the best at-bat of the season for the Milwaukee Brewers, with a fantastic result.

Jesús Aguilar stayed alive for 13 pitches leading off the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night, finally crushing a long home run to right-center that gave the Brewers a scintillating 6-5 victory over the Miami Marlins at Miller Park.

Aguilar fouled off seven two-strike pitches to stay alive during the epic at-bat against reliever Junichi Tazawa. It was Aguilar's first home run of the season and his first walk-off homer, boosting the Brewers' winning streak to five games, most since the first half of last season.

BOX SCORE:Brewers 6, Marlins 5

ANALYSIS:Jesus Aguilar never had an at-bat like this, 'not even in Nintendo'

NOTES:Orlando Arcia's ankle is feeling better

HAUDRICOURT:Because there is crying in baseball, Brewers have Josh Hader

MLB:Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, statistics

The Brewers trailed, 5-4, entering the eighth inning but were presented a gift run by the Marlins to tie it. With two down, Eric Sogard lifted a high fly to shallow left field that Derek Dietrich muffed for a run-scoring error, a scoring play later changed to an RBI double. Eric Thames also tried to score from first on the play but was thrown out. 

Brewers starter Brent Suter put the Brewers in an early 4-0 hole, courtesy of two home runs by the Marlins. Dietrich sent a one-out shot to right-center in the first and Lewis Brinson lined a three-run shot to left-center with none down in the second.

Brinson, the Brewers’ former No. 1 prospect sent to the Marlins in late January in the Christian Yelich trade, came to town in a deep slump, with a .131 batting average and no extra-base hits. The shot off Suter was his third homer of the series, however, including two in the opener.

The Brewers kept pecking away at Miami starter José Ureña to stay in the game. Actually, it was more than a peck in the second as Travis Shaw led off with a home run, his second in two nights.

The Brewers had a chance for a big rally in the fourth when Ryan Braun opened with a double, Shaw walked and Thames ripped an RBI single. They settled for two runs, however, cutting the Marlins’ lead to 4-3.

After the Marlins boosted their lead to 5-3 in the fifth on Brian Anderson's two-out single off Suter, the Brewers came back with a run in the bottom of the inning to make it a one-run game again.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

ANOTHER BIG ROUND NUMBER: Braun, who collected his career 1,000th RBI with a pinch-hit, three-run home run Thursday night, reached another milestone with a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth. It was the 700th career extra-base hit for Braun, who ranks second on the Brewers’ all-time list behind the 960 by Robin Yount.

OPPOSITE NUMBERS ARE THE SAME: In what had to be a major-league first, two pitchers wearing No. 71 covered all six outs in the seventh. After the Brewers’ Josh Hader took care of the side in order in the top of the inning, Miami reliever Drew Steckenrider pitched scoreless ball in the bottom of the inning.

THE PEN DOES IT AGAIN: Even with closer Corey Knebel on the disabled list with a hamstring injury, the Brewers' bullpen has performed well. With Jacob Barnes, Josh Hader, Matt Albers and Jeremy Jeffress contributing a scoreless frame each, the relief corps extended its scoreless stretch to 17 2/3 innings. 

SLUMPING SANTANA SITS AGAIN: For the second consecutive game, rightfielder Domingo Santana was out of the starting lineup. Santana, 0 for his last 16, has been unable to get going at the plate, managing just one extra-base hit – a double – with three RBI. With outfielders Braun, Lorenzo Cain and Yelich all missing time with injuries, Santana has seen more action than might have been anticipated but has not taken advantage. “It gives him a couple days to kind of clear the slate a little bit,” manager Craig Counsell said. “There’s going to be five guys on the bench every day. Everybody will play. I’ve tried to state that, and it’s happened, and it will continue to happen.” Santana pinch-hit to lead off the bottom of the fifth, walked and later scored.

STARTING PITCHING HAD BEEN BETTER: Before Suter stumbled, the starting rotation had been on a roll, going 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA over the previous seven games with a .184 opponents batting average. That stretch helped calm the fears of those who worried that not adding an established starter over the off-season would sink the team. “The starters have kind of turned this a little bit,” Counsell said. “They’ve been doing a heck of a job. Lessening the bullpen’s innings is always valuable, especially on these home stands. We’ve carried seven relievers for a couple of April home stands. That’s a credit to the whole staff. Everybody is pulling the wagon equally, as far as innings.”

RECORD

This year: 13-9

Last year: 11-11

ATTENDANCE

Saturday: 37,175

This year: 424,368 (32,644 avg.)

Last year:  384,735 (29,595 avg.)

COMING UP

Sunday: Brewers vs. Marlins, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Junior Guerra (1-0, 0.82) vs. Miami LHP Caleb Smith (0-2, 6.89). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: FM-94.5.