Dodgers 5, Brewers 3: Kike Hernandez's home run off Josh Hader the difference in a third straight loss

JR Radcliffe
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Dodgers second baseman Kike Hernandez launches a three-run homer Friday night.

Kike Hernandez crushed an 0-2 fastball from Josh Hader out to left field for a three-run homer, breaking an eighth-inning tie Friday night and helping the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

The Brewers (12-9) suffered their third straight loss and lost for the first time in a game in which Hader appeared.

“It was up where I wanted it, but I wanted it to be more in and just left it out over,” Hader said. “With me falling behind on those guys walking, I didn’t set myself up too good to execute. I made mistakes and I paid for it. That’s the way a game goes sometimes.”

Hader (0-1) helped the Brewers negotiate their way out of a big-time jam in the seventh when he struck out Cody Bellinger with the bases loaded, but he worked into trouble in the eighth when he walked A.J. Pollock to start the frame and David Freese with one down. Still, when he struck out Austin Barnes on a devastating slider and started Hernandez 0-2, it appeared Hader would work out of it before Hernandez got full extension to break a 2-2 tie.

"Their hitters, right-handed hitters especially, gave him some tough at-bats," Brewres manager Craig Counsell said. "They hit a bunch of foul balls that kept at-bats alive. That’s a pitch and a spot where Josh is pretty good at -- really good at -- so give Hernandez credit."

It's the first time anyone has ever homered against Josh Hader on an 0-2 pitch and only the second time (among 15 total homers) that a batter behind in the count has homered. Eugenio Suarez of the Reds homered on a 1-2 pitch last August.

The Brewers struck first when Christian Yelich delivered  his major league-leading 11th home run in the first inning off Dodgers starter Ross Stripling. That gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead, but they couldn't scratch across another run until Eric Thames hit a two-out homer in the eighth.

Thames's homer snapped a streak of 11 straight Brewers runs driven in exclusively by Yelich or a pitcher (Brandon Woodruff or Aaron Wilkerson, specifically).

“It’s been a couple days where we haven’t put a bunch of runs on the board,” Counsell said. “That’s going to happen. We’re facing some pretty good pitching and have a coupe guys that aren’t quite on it. We’re going to be fine offensively and score a bunch of runs; I’m confident in that. This is a good baseball team, with good pitching and good offense, and you’ve got to do a lot of things well to beat them.”

The Dodgers got back to even on an Alex Verdugo two-out double in the second and a Bellinger sacrifice fly in the third – a drive that scored Stripling, who walked on four pitches leading off the inning against Brewers starter Jhoulys Chacin.

Brewers pitchers issued nine walks (one intentional), and three of those batters scored.

"They don’t chase many pitches," Chacin said. "We said yesterday too, still fighting every at bat. You have to make quality pitches, you just have to make them swing the bat."

Neither starter factored in the decision. Chacin allowed five hits and three walks in five innings but limited the damage to two runs.

"My slider was better today; my fastball command was OK," Chacin said. "I was throwing the ball better, just throwing more strikes. I still walked a lot of guys, but I felt I made good pitches when I needed to and gave my chance to win the game. I still feel as a starting pitcher we have to get a little deeper in the games and give a break to the bullpen, because they’ve been working a lot."

Stripling exited in the fifth. After carving up the Brewers over eight innings in his last start Sunday, Stripling labored this time around but also left with the game still tied.

Junior Guerra struck out Justin Turner with the bases loaded and one down in the seventh before giving way to Hader, whose 96 mph fastball on the outside corner coaxed Bellinger into an awkward swing and miss for a third strike.

BOX SCORE:Dodgers 5, Brewers 3 

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

MR. 1,000 (AND MORE MILESTONES FOR YELICH): Fans stood and applauded for Lorenzo Cain after he led off the bottom of the first with a single, his 1,000th  hit. He then scored when  Yelich homered, a shot that tied  Thames (2017) for the most Brewers home runs in March/April, with 11. Yelich already owned the club record for March/April RBI with 27, and he bumped that total to 29 with the blast.

DONNIE HART DEBUTS: The newest member of the Brewers, relief pitcher Donnie Hart, got into the game in the top of the ninth. Hart was recalled on Friday when the club sent Corbin Burnes and Jake Petricka to Class AAA San Antonio (and also reinstated Alex Wilson from the paternity list). Hart worked a scoreless inning despite issuing two walks (one intentional).

RELATED:Brewers option struggling starter Corbin Burnes to Class AAA San Antonio

PUT IT IN A FRAME: The Brewers dodged a big bullet in the seventh, when the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out against Guerra. But Guerra got a close call on both a second and third strike against Justin Turner, thanks perhaps in part to Yasmani Grandal's receiving behind the plate. Hader then came on to strike out Bellinger and end the inning.

HOUSER AN OPTION? Brewers manager Craig Counsell announced that Chase Anderson would start Saturday's game, but the Brewers will need another starter Monday with Freddy Peralta injured and  Burnes optioned to Class AAA San Antonio. Anderson, who's been working out of the bullpen, said before Friday's game that he felt like he could give at least five innings of work, but the bullpen figures to be heavily involved. Monday is more of a mystery, especially if Aaron Wilkerson is needed to pitch Saturday, as well. Adrian Houser, who briefly saw time with the Brewers last year, has allowed just two earned runs in 16 innings (1.10 ERA) at San Antonio and did not make his regularly scheduled start at Class AAA on Friday.

A NEW BABY ... AND FINALLY SOME REST? A new child normally means the opposite of a well-earned break, but Alex Wilson may have found the sweet spot when daughter Hazel Ann was born Wednesday in Milwaukee. It's the Wilsons' fourth child, joining son Jhett, 5, and daughters Rosie, 4, and Whelynn, 2.

Wilson, whose life has been a whirlwind since he signed with the Brewers just before the end of spring training, was able to get a break out of the deal, taking two days off from baseball  before being reinstated from the paternity list Friday.

"It might have been the best thing I could have done for myself," Wilson said. "The whole switching teams and moving, trying to get things arranged for family, it got to me a little bit. It all came to a head and I finally took a breath after we had the baby. I fell asleep at the hospital at 11 o'clock, and I didn't wake up until 10:30 the next morning. My wife said, 'There's been 40 people in here, and you haven't flinched.' "

Wilson's family has been staying at Corey Knebel's house in the short term while Knebel is rehabbing in Arizona.

RECORD

This year: 12-9

Last year: 12-9

ATTENDANCE

Friday: 36,776

Season total: 423,529 (35,294 avg.)

Last year: 387,193 (32,266 avg.)

COMING UP

Saturday: Dodgers at Brewers, 6:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Chase Anderson (1-0, 4.50) vs. Los Angeles RHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-0, 3.07). TV: FS Wisconsin Plus/FS1.