Dodgers 6, Brewers 5: Cody Bellinger makes the difference late in a thriller

The game had all the makings of another Easter Sunday classic for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Then Cody Bellinger had to go and ruin the moment.

After Eric Thames hit a three-run home run off Kenley Jansen to tie the game in the eighth inning, Bellinger turned the trick on Josh Hader. Bellinger's ninth-inning homer proved to be the difference in a deflating 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Miller Park.

Bellinger had three hits, drove in three of the Dodgers' six runs and, oh yeah, also robbed Christian Yelich of a homer four batters before Thames' shot.

Joc Pederson also homered twice for Los Angeles. The loss left Milwaukee with a 3-4 homestand — the first time it finished sub-.500 on a homestand since May 4-9 last season when it went a combined 2-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians.

"It’s a good baseball game," manager Craig Counsell said. "At the end, their best player got our best pitcher, and that’s the game."

BOX SCORE:Dodgers 6, Brewers 5

Yelich would have hit his ninth homer of the homestand were it not for Bellinger in right field. Yelich greeted Pedro Baez with a drive to right-center to lead off the Brewers' eighth that Bellinger measured and brought back with a leaping grab at the wall.

Ryan Braun and Yasmani Grandal followed up Yelich's near-miss by singling. After Jesús Aguilar popped out, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts brought on Jansen to face Thames.

Thames worked a full count from the Dodgers closer before belting a 94-mph cutter to center to tie it up at 5-5. He rounded first with his right fist and index finger in the air, much like Rob Deer when he homered to help the Brewers beat the Texas Rangers in that memorable Easter Sunday comeback at County Stadium in 1987. 

"After that ball left the bat I could just feel the energy from the team and the fans and everything," Thames said. "It was an incredible feeling."

The buzz continued into the ninth, as Hader (0-2) quickly fanned both Corey Seager and Justin Turner. That brought up Bellinger, who fell behind in the count, 1-2.

Hader then left a slider over the plate that Bellinger jumped on and sent into the stands in right, silencing the previously amped-up crowd. It was just the second homer he'd ever allowed to a left-handed hitter (Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs hit the first, Sept. 3, 2018).

"We were down pretty early and for him to put us in the position that we were as huge," said Hader. "It just comes down to executing a pitch. Bellinger’s swinging a hot bat right now, and he made me pay for it."

Nearly unhittable in his first six appearances, Hader suddenly has allowed homers in each of his last three appearances for the first time in his career. He's also lost consecutive games for just the second time, and his earned run average has suddenly ballooned to 3.75.

"These are big-league hitters. Can’t be perfect every time," Hader said. "Just the way it goes. You leave it over the plate, that’s what they do. They’ve got to hit your mistakes. If they’re not, then luck’s on your side.

"Just go back and really focus on executing those 0-2s and make sure they’re down and away."

Jansen (2-0) struck out the side in the ninth to finish the Brewers off.

Pederson homered two pitches into the game, and Bellinger had RBI singles in both the first and second innings as the Dodgers jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings.

It stretched to 5-0 after Pederson's second homer, in the fourth.

The Brewers did nothing early against Clayton Kershaw, who worked around four walks through the first four innings, before a triple by Orlando Arcia and homer by Lorenzo Cain got the Brewers into the hit column and onto the scoreboard in the fifth.

Brandon Woodruff recorded the first two outs in the sixth before departing with Pederson due up again. He allowed season highs with seven hits and five runs (earned) and tied a season high with three walks while striking out six in a 99-pitch outing.

"Obviously, the first two innings were a struggle," Counsell said. "They punched him right away. I feel like Woody’s close here. He pitched really well the last 3 2/3. His stuff was really good. He made some mental mistakes early in the game that they punished.

"When he got the ball where he wanted to, he got outs."

The right-hander, the lone member of the young trio of starters still in the rotation after Freddy Peralta was placed on the injured list and Corbin Burnes was demoted to the minor leagues, now sports a 5.81 earned run average through five appearances.

"Very mixed," Woodruff said in summing up his five starts. "I've had some outings where a lot of things went well but I give up a homer here or there. I'm right there as far as getting through these.

"I'm not having too much of a problem getting deep into the game; it's finding a way to quit giving up that crooked number there at the beginning or in the middle of my outing and just trying to execute a little better.

"Once that happens, I'll start seeing some better results."

The Brewers will need to turn the page quickly now, as they travel to St. Louis to play Game Nos. 8, 9 and 10 against the Cardinals already this season. Then it's off to New York for a three-game weekend series against the Mets.

"We can’t just sit on this and act like the season’s over," Hader said. "We’ve got a long season ahead of us. Just really focus on the little things and get back to the baseball we know how to play."

Added Thames: "It is a gut punch, but we’ll focus on tomorrow."

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

LOVE THE GLOVE: The Brewers set a franchise record on Sunday by playing their 12th consecutive error-free game. The team had put together 11 straight error-less games from July 28-Aug. 9, 2006, and July 20-29, 1979. Milwaukee's total of five errors this season is fewest in the major leagues, and its .993 fielding percentage is highest.

Cain did his part for the cause in the fourth inning, making a running, leaping grab at the wall in left-center to rob Turner of extra bases.

WALK IT OUT: The Brewers issued 23 walks in the four-game series, the most they've allowed in any series since walking 27 in a four-game set at Arizona in August, 2010.

BEEN A WHILE: Yelich finished the day 0 for 2 with two walks, leaving him hitless in his first game since last Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

LET THERE BE LIGHT: With the temperature a balmy 72 degrees at first pitch, the Brewers played with the Miller Park roof open for the first time this season at Miller Park.

WELCOME BACK: Right-hander Adrian Houser will make his first major-league start on Monday at Busch Stadium. The 26-year-old is 1-0 with a 1.10 ERA in three starts at Class AAA San Antonio and has struck out 18 in 16 1/3 innings. He hasn't pitched since April 14.

RECORD

This year: 13-10

Last year: 14-9

ATTENDANCE

Sunday: 32,054

This year: 495,985  (35,428 avg.)

Last year: 461,383 (32,956 avg.)

COMING UP

Monday: Brewers at Cardinals, 6:45 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Adrian Houser (first start) vs. St. Louis RHP Jack Flaherty (1-1, 5.00). TV: FS Wisconsin. Radio: FM-94.5.