Brewers upend hapless Phillies
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Ryan Braun went 4-for-5 and Aramis Ramirez drove in three runs as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied past the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 on Tuesday.
Cole Hamels allowed two runs in seven innings for the Phillies and was set to pick up his first win of the month, but Ken Giles (3-2) came on in the eighth and lost the lead.
"Giles has been pitching amazing, but every once in a while that kind of happens," Hamels said.
Three straight two-out singles from Braun, Carlos Gomez and Ramirez tied the game at 3-3. Giles then issued consecutive walks to Gerardo Parra and pinch- hitter Adam Lind to force in the eventual game-winning run.
"It's a win you feel like you snatched from them," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We just made plays at the end."
Neal Cotts (1-0) got the win for finishing the seventh. Will Smith, who had gone 16 straight appearances without allowing a run, loaded the bases a half- inning later, but Jeremy Jeffress came on and helped Smith get to 17 by inducing a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Milwaukee won its fifth straight game at Citizens Bank Park as Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 17th save.
Hamels has been victimized by Philadelphia's offense in June, going 0-3 in six starts for the month. He was given just six total runs of support in those games.
He gave up a pair of first-inning runs in this one but was stellar the rest of the way, striking out seven.
Taylor Jungmann allowed all three runs -- two earned -- on five hits over six innings for the Brewers.
After a lengthy rain delay held up the start of the game, Milwaukee pushed two across against Hamels. Jonathan Lucroy drew a one-out walk, Braun followed with an infield single and both players scored on Ramirez's base knock to center.
Philadelphia manufactured a run in the second and another in the third to tie it. Cody Asche scored on a Lucroy error in the second inning, and Cesar Hernandez came in on Domonic Brown's grounder to second in the third.
The game remained tied until Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz took a 3-0 fastball out to left with two outs in the sixth for his first home run of the season.
Game Notes
The game was delayed an hour and 19 minutes due to rain ... Hamels has gone six-plus innings without allowing more than two runs and not won 75 times, the most in major league history for a pitches in his first 300 starts ... Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor, who was selected third overall in the NBA draft last week, threw out the ceremonial first pitch ... Ruiz's last home run came on Sept. 5, 2014 ... Rodriguez has now converted 22 straight saves going back to last season ... Philadelphia went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.