LAD@MIL: Kemp’s single plates a run in first
MILWAUKEE — Another game against the Brewers, another tough walk-off loss for the Dodgers on Wednesday night.
This one went to Milwaukee, 3-2, on Ryan Braun’s game-winning sacrifice fly in the 10th inning on the heels of Tuesday night’s 5-4 decision. The Dodgers are 9-1 against the Padres and Pirates, but 0-2 against Milwaukee, a team that reached the playoffs last year.
Jonathan Lucroy led off the winning rally with a walk against Matt Guerrier. Former Dodger Cesar Izturis popped up a bunt. But pinch-runner Nyjer Morgan stole second and continued to third when catcher A.J. Ellis’ errant throw sailed into center field.
Manager Don Mattingly deployed the five-man infield, bringing left fielder Jerry Hairston to play between first baseman James Loney and second baseman Mark Ellis. Rickie Weeks was walked intentionally, then stole second. Pinch-hitter George Kottaras, whose two-run double won it Tuesday night, walked to load the bases.
Braun popped to shallow center, where Matt Kemp caught the ball and fired home on two hops as Morgan, running through third-base coach Ed Sedar’s stop sign, slid. Ellis appeared to tag Morgan’s backside, but plate umpire Mike DiMuro called him safe.
Mark Ellis got the Dodgers started in the first inning against Zack Greinke. After taking a close 2-2 pitch, he lined a triple over the head of right fielder Corey Hart and scored when Kemp’s well-placed grounder scooted between third baseman Aramis Ramirez and shortstop Alex Gonzalez.
Milwaukee tied the game in the second on a double by Hart that went off the glove of right fielder Andre Ethier and a two-out single past a diving Ellis.
Former Brewer Hairston put the Dodgers ahead in the fifth. He led off the inning with a double to left, took third on former Brewer Tony Gwynn’s broken-bat single and scored on Milwaukee resident A.J. Ellis’ forceout.
Ramirez tied the game on the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth with his first home run as a Brewer, a huge blast into the Harley Davidson deck 444 feet away.
Chris Capuano was lifted after six innings, allowing two runs in a no-decision. Greinke left for a pinch-hitter after allowing two runs in seven innings.
The Dodgers let a chance get away in the eighth. With two outs, Dee Gordon singled up the middle off Francisco Rodriguez and stole second on a 3-0 fastball to Mark Ellis, who then walked. But Kemp struck out.
A.J. Ellis came up big in the bottom of the eighth inning, throwing out Carlos Gomez trying to steal second base to end the second scoreless inning for reliever Josh Lindblom.
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
