Brewers 4, Marlins 2: Christian Yelich, Junior Guerra power Milwaukee to sixth consecutive win

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

How sweep it is.

The Milwaukee Brewers finished up a strong home stand on a positive note on Sunday afternoon by edging the Miami Marlins, 4-2, at Miller Park.

After opening the seven-game stop by being blown out by the Cincinnati Reds the Brewers have won six straight, including all four over the Marlins.

It's the first time the Brewers swept a four-game series from an opponent since June 29-July 2, 2015, at Philadelphia, and the first time they've won six in a row overall since Aug. 30-Sept. 5 of that same year.

The four-game series sweep was the first in Milwaukee for the Brewers since Aug. 8-11, 2008, when they did it against Washington.

Christian Yelich slugged a two-run homer in the fourth inning against his former club to put Milwaukee ahead to stay.

But it was a battle all the way through, as Miami left-hander Caleb Smith allowed only two hits while striking out 10 over six innings.

BOX SCORE: Brewers 4, Marlins 2

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Junior Guerra (2-0) was solid over five innings, allowing five hits, one unearned run and one walk while striking out four.

He left with the bases loaded and nobody out in the sixth but Jeremy Jeffress stranded all three, storming off the mound after striking out Lewis Brinson to the delight of the crowd of 37,015.

Still holding onto the 2-1 lead provided by Yelich's homer, the Brewers added an insurance run in the seventh when Justin Bour mishandled Eric Thames's two-out ground ball with the bases loaded.

Miami pulled to within a run in the eighth on an RBI single from Bour. Then with one out, Bour committed a baserunning blunder that resulted in a double play.

Milwaukee got that run back in the bottom half thanks to a two-out RBI single by Jesús Aguilar.

Matt Albers and Josh Hader pitched the final three innings behind Jeffress as the bullpen continued its lights-out work. The save was Hader's third, and all have been two innings.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

JOIN THE CLUB: With his double on Saturday night, Ryan Braun became the ninth active player with at least 700 career extra-base hits. The others are: Albert Pujols (1,258), Adrián Beltré (1,118), Miguel Cabrera (1.031), Robinson Cano (852), Matt Holliday (812), Adrián González (758), Curtis Granderson (723), Chase Utley (720). Braun's 700 extra-base hits rank him second all-time in franchise history behind Robin Yount (960).

HECK OF A HOME STAND: Lorenzo Cain went 1 for 3 with a walk and scored two of the Brewers' four runs. Over the seven-game home stand he hit a cool .381 with two doubles, a homer, two RBI, five runs scored and five walks. Cain also posted an on-base percentage of .500. You can't expect much more out of a leadoff hitter.

"Lorenzo Cain had an incredible home stand and really set the offensive tone," manager Craig Counsell said. "So many two-strike at-bats for Lorenzo when he was still giving us production after he got to two strikes, whether it was a walk or a base hit. He’s been fabulous setting the tone on offense for us."

OUT OF THE WAY: The Marlins scored their first run after a miscue by rookie catcher Jacob Nottingham, who was making just the second start of his major-league career. Two batters into the game, he was called for catcher's interference after J.T. Realmuto ticked Nottingham's glove with his bat. Two batters later, Bour took advantage of a Guerra mistake by hammering an 0-2 fastball into the corner in right to give Miami a 1-0 lead.

ROBBED: You can't hit a ball much harder than the one Braun did in the fourth inning, when he lined a 93-mph Caleb Smith toward left field. Former teammate Yadiel Rivera, playing shortstop, made a lunging backhand stab and hauled it in, but then dropped the ball on the transfer to his throwing hand. Counsell questioned whether Rivera had actually completed the catch, but third-base umpire Alfonso Marquez was emphatic. In his is next at-bat, Braun lost the grip on his bat and inadvertently slung it almost to the same spot of Rivera's catch.

ALL OR NOTHING: Another former Brewers player, Brinson, had a weird series. Coming into Sunday's series finale, he was 3 for 9 with three homers and six strikeouts. He was hit by a Guerra pitch in his first at-bat, then thrown out at first by Guerra on a bang-bang play after he hit a slow roller to the left of the mound. He then struck out in his final two at-bats.

RECORD

This year: 14-9

Last year: 12-11

ATTENDANCE

Sunday: 37,015

This year: 461,383 (32,956 avg.)

Last year: 403,791 (28,842 avg.)

COMING UP

Tuesday: Brewers at Royals, 7:15 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Zach Davies (1-2, 4.84) vs. Kansas City RHP Ian Kennedy (1-2, 2.35). TV: FS Wisconsin Plus. Radio: FM-94.5.