Braves 5, Brewers 1: Offense has no answer for Anibal Sánchez

Anibal Sánchez was bad news for the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday afternoon.

The right-hander proved to be almost untouchable in a 6 2/3-inning start, and the Brewers managed just four hits and six base runners in all in falling to the Atlanta Braves, 5-1, at Miller Park.

"He pitched really well," said manager Craig Counsell, whose team had its five-game winning streak snapped. "He located the ball really well. He was mixing it up and did a good job on the corners."

Aaron Wilkerson, recalled from Class AAA Colorado Springs on Friday when Brent Suter was placed on the 10-day disabled list, was making his second appearance in seven days for the Brewers and his first start.

BOX SCORE:Braves 5, Brewers 1

ANALYSIS:It was a rough day for Brewers pitcher Aaron Wilkerson

NOTES:Nate Orf sent back to Class AAA Colorado Springs

HAUDRICOURT:Brewers' depth has been huge in overcoming injuries

MLB:Live scoreboard, box scores, standings, statistics

Five consecutive batters reached base against Wilkerson after he retired Ender Inciarte to open the game – three via single and two via walk – as the Braves grabbed a quick 2-0 lead.

It took Wilkerson a total of 38 pitches to finally get out of the first.

It appeared as though the Brewers were going to answer right back in the bottom half, when Eric Thames led off with a single and Sánchez hit Jesús Aguilar to put two on for Travis Shaw.

Shaw then singled to right, but Aguilar was thrown out at second as he had to hold between first and second base to make sure the ball was going to drop in front of rightfielder Nick Markakis.

Hernán Pérez was then called out on strikes, scuttling the budding rally.

"We had a chance in the first inning," Counsell said. "Eric leads off with a hit. 'Agui' was on base and Travis hit a ball that Agui just didn't get a good read on, and he was forced out.

"That was our opportunity against Sanchez."

Wilkerson (0-1) settled in after his rough first and allowed just a single and a walk over his final four innings while also striking out five as Atlanta's offense went silent.

Milwaukee's offense, meanwhile, was non-existent after the first.

Starting with Pérez's strikeout, Sánchez retired 19 in a row – including six straight strikeouts at one point – with the Brewers managing virtually no hard contact.

Pérez became Milwaukee's first base runner since the first when he drew a two-out walk in the seventh, and he promptly stole second.

That brought up Brad Miller, who followed by literally knocking Sánchez out of the game with a hard shot off his backside that wound up trickling into short left field to pull the Brewers to within 2-1.

Dan Winkler replaced Sánchez at that point and recorded the final out, and the Braves wasted no time answering back in the top of the eighth thanks to consecutive RBI triples by Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis off Mike Zagurski.

Jorge López replaced Zagurski and allowed a third run, leaving the deficit an insurmountable 5-1.

"We had one at-bat to try to tie it up and the next inning, you have to go through their 2-3-4 hitters," Counsell said. "We weren't able to get through it. (Zagurski) wasn't able to get through it."

For the first time since June 23 - a span of 12 games - the Brewers failed to hit a home run. It was the second-longest streak in the major leagues, trailing only the Houston Astros.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

BRAUN SCRATCHED: Ryan Braun was scratched from the lineup two hours before the game due to right-side tightness and was replaced in left field by Pérez. Braun did see action as a pinch hitter in the ninth and was called out on strikes to end the game.

CAIN PASSES: Lorenzo Cain took batting practice, caught fly balls and ran the bases prior to Saturday's game with no issues. Having passed all those tests, Cain said, 'I'm playing,' in Sunday's series finale. Cain has been on the disabled list since June 26 with a left-groin strain.

DAVIES DISAPPOINTED: Zach Davies remains in a holding pattern as he deals with back tightness. It came up in his last minor-league rehab start last weekend, as he was working his way back from a sore right shoulder that landed him on the disabled list June 1. "It's frustrating," he said. "Shoulder's felt great. Felt like I was starting a brand-new year and that's healthy. Then for whatever reason, maybe (the back) was compensating for the shoulder, and that ends up costing me more time."

LIVING ON THE EDGE: In beating the Braves, 5-4, on Friday, the Brewers improved to 21-11 in one-run games. Milwaukee's 21 victories lead the National League and are second most in the major leagues behind the 26 posted by the Seattle Mariners.

WELCOME BACK: The Atlanta coaching staff features a pair of ex-Brewers in hitting coach Kevin Seitzer and first-base coach Eric Young. Seitzer played in Milwaukee from 1992-'96 and Young in 2002-'03.

RECORD

This year: 53-36

Last year: 49-40

ATTENDANCE

Saturday: 38,813

This year: 1,617,074 (34,406 avg.)

Last year: 1,354,477 (28,819 avg.)

COMING UP

Sunday: Braves at Brewers, 1:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Junior Guerra (5-5, 2.87) vs. Atlanta LHP Sean Newcomb (8-3, 3.10). TV: FS Wisconsin, TBS. Radio: AM-620.