Overbay Traded to Toronto!
Walk This Way
Offense is Stellar but Pitching and Defense Sink Ship
Dennis Jenders
The Milwaukee Brewers found themselves in a slight role-reversal when it was the offense that carried the team and the defense that cost the club a win. With 17 hits and 5 home runs the Brewers still fell to the Mets in 11 innings when reliever Julio Santana walked pinch-hitter Mike Piazza with the bases loaded to give the Mets a 9-8 advantage.
Starter Tomo Ohka found himself in trouble in the first after giving up four hits and two runs. He ran into trouble again in the fourth when the Mets rallied for two more runs. Ohka was pulled in favor of Dana Eveland who came on to record the third out.
The Brewers had back-to-back home runs in the first when Carlos Lee and Geoff Jenkins struck early giving the Brewers a promising three run lead. And for the first time since Richie Sexson and Jeremy Burnitz had 2 back-to-back shots in 2001 the Brewers did it again when Russell Branyan powered out a shot to lead off the second and Damian Miller followed with a blast to right field.
In the sixth inning reliever Justin Lehr took the Mets 1, 2, 3. The Brewers had a three run lead but Lehr didn't find it as easy in the seventh as he gave up two runs and was relieved by Jorge De La Rosa. At the end of the inning the score was tied and it looked like the Brewers were starting to come apart at the seams.
Red hot Geoff Jenkins hit a solo shot in the ninth to give the Brewers an 8-7 lead, but Turnbow came on for the save and gave up a shot to Mike Cameron to tie the game. He threw a lot of pitches and blew his first save since the end of May.
With a tie gave the Brewers squandered some chances. Billy Hall was given the bunt sign with two on and no outs in the 11th, but he pulled back and hit the ball directly at Cameron for an out. Russell Branyan and Damian Miller went down as well.
The offense couldn't produce at the end of the game, and neither could the defense as Hall couldn't control a double play ball that went off his glove. Julio Santana would then issue an intentional walk before Mike Piazza came on for the game winning RBI that he received after four balls.