Brewers Top Phils for 6th Straight Win
The Milwaukee Brewers used a big offense on their way to an undefeated road trip.
Carlos Gomez had three hits with an RBI and the Brewers extended their winning to six games with a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night.
The Brewers' wins have all come on the road during the streak. They came to Philadelphia following a three-game sweep at defending World Series champion Boston.
"It sure was (impressive)," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of the trip. "Great pitching, some big hits, bullpen's doing a great job. Everything's working. Guys are getting some big hits right now."
They battered the Phillies with 25 runs and 38 hits in the three-game sweep. Milwaukee has batted .320 and has outscored opponents 42-18 during the streak.
"We're scoring some early and then getting to those late innings and adding on," Roenicke said.
Ryan Braun had two hits and an RBI, ending the series 6 for 12 with 10 RBIs while increasing his lifetime total to 24 RBIs in 21 games at Citizens Bank Park. Braun opened the series by homering three times in Tuesday's 10-4 win.
Khris Davis had two hits and two RBIs for the Brewers, who return home to host Pittsburgh on Friday night. Milwaukee's 6-0 road start is its best since starting the 1987 season 7-0.
"It was kind of a whole team effort on this trip and we're excited to keep it going," said Jonathan Lucroy, who doubled.
Marco Estrada (1-0) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings, striking out six and walking two, to earn the victory.
"Not only with our pitching, but with our offense, it was well played overall," Estrada said. "It's the way you want to do it, we're hitting, we're pitching, it's the way we just have to keep doing it. Obviously, it's tougher on the road to do, but we did it. It just shows what kind of team we are. We're a pretty good team."
Marlon Byrd homered and had two RBIs for the Phillies, who lost their fourth straight.
"The good news is they are leaving town," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Now we have to concentrate on gaining some momentum starting (Friday)."
Philadelphia's Chase Utley had two hits after returning from a two-game absence because of the flu. Utley batted .458 with two homers and six RBIs in his first six games prior to the illness.
Cliff Lee (2-1) struck out eight and walked none, but he also allowed eight hits that resulted in three runs in six innings. Lee has allowed 29 hits in three games.
"They're a good hitting team and they showed it in the whole series," Lee said. "They flat-out beat us."
Byrd's shot to left in the second put Philadelphia ahead 1-0.
The Brewers took the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth on Aramis Ramirez's RBI double and Davis' RBI single. Milwaukee added a run in the sixth on Davis' two-out RBI double.
Philadelphia responded with a two-out run in the bottom of the sixth when Byrd beat out a chopper to third with the bases loaded. Estrada then got Domonic Brown to fly out to center to end the bases-loaded threat.
Milwaukee added three runs in the seventh. The Brewers got some help when Carlos Ruiz elected to throw to second on pinch-hitter Logan Schafer's sacrifice bunt intended to move Rickie Weeks to second. Ruiz's throw pulled shortstop Jimmy Rollins off the bag and put runners on first and second with no outs to set up the big inning.
Defensive miscues have been a problem all season for Philadelphia, which entered with nine errors in eight games and several plays, such as Ruiz's, that haven't been ruled errors but have been costly miscues.
Gomez singled home Weeks, Jean Segura drove in Estrada and Braun's sacrifice fly scored Gomez. All three runs were charged to righty reliever Jeff Manship, who faced three batters without recording an out.
Milwaukee extended its club record of consecutive innings with a hit to 22 innings when Braun singled to right with two outs in the first. Lee retired the Brewers in order in the second, striking out the side, to end the streak.
Brown made an excellent diving catch to take a hit away from Scooter Gennett in the ninth. It was the third diving catch off the bat of Gennett in two games.
Notes: The victory gave Milwaukee its first sweep of the Phillies in Philadelphia. ... Cody Asche's eighth-inning error gave Philadelphia 10 errors in nine games. Only the Dodgers and Marlins, each with 11, entered Thursday with more fielding miscues than Philadelphia among NL teams. ... A.J. Burnett (0-1, 3.86) faces Miami RHP Jose Fernandez (2-0, 0.71) at 7:05 Friday night when the teams open a three-game series in Philadelphia. ... Milwaukee returns home to face Pittsburgh at 8:10 Friday night with Brewers RHP Wily Peralta (0-0, 3.60) opposing Pirates LHP Francisco Liriano (0-1, 3.00). ... Philadelphia will call up Phillies RHP Jonathan Pettibone to start Saturday's game against the Marlins.
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