Overbay Traded to Toronto!
Comeback Kids
Brewers Take Mets Series 2-1
Nate Roth
Playing catch up most of the game, the Milwaukee Brewers broke through at the last possible moment to defeat the New York Mets 12-9 in an exhausting game, winning the series on their way to Philadelphia.
The Brewers swatted 21 hits, including five by Geoff Jenkins, and relied on a host clutch hits in the 9th inning to turn a two run deficit going into the inning, into a three run profit which they held onto for the win. Julio Santana picked up the win and Derrick Turnbow converted another anxiety ridden save, his 23rd.
On a hot and humid afternoon in Queens, Doug Davis had trouble finding the strikezone and left after three and two-thirds innings, walking seven and eventually putting the Brewers into a three run hole. The Brewers battled back in the fifth inning on a double by Russell Branyan, knocking in Carlos Lee and Jenkins. Pinch hitter Chris Magruder followed a batter later with a clean single off Mets starter Kris Benson, driving in Branyan to tie the game at six.
Once again, the Brewers pitchers, who had a rough three game series, couldn’t hold on, as Justin Lehr surrendered a home run to Mike Cameron and a run scoring double to a long time Brew Crew nemesis, Mike Piazza. Milwaukee came back with one in the top of the eighth, but again gave that run right back in the bottom of the inning as Santana allowed a run scoring double to Jose Offerman.
All of the comebacks of the first eight innings behind them, the Brewers were determined in the ninth to turn the tide. With the aged and over used Roberto Hernandez in the game, who had pitched in the previous two games, Bill Hall doubled and was driven in by a single by Brady Clark.
With the Crew down only one run, Rickie Weeks singled and was sacrificed over to second by Lyle Overbay, who had homered earlier in the game. In a surprising move by Mets manager Willie Randolph, Carlos Lee was intentionally walked to load the bases, preferring to face Jenkins who at that point had four hits. Jenkins made them pay for that decision, singling to left field driving in Clark. Unfortunately, Weeks was thrown out at the plate, but the Brewers had come back and tied it.
Damian Miller came on as a pinch hitter for the pitcher’s spot and legged out an improbably infield single, scoring the go ahead run in Lee and moving Jenkins to second. Wes Helms, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth and stayed in the game at third base, doubled past center fielder Carlos Beltran to drive in two more and put the Brewers on top 12-9. The harrowing ninth inning over, and the Brewers win the series two games to one as they head to Philadelphia for the weekend.
Milwaukee is now one game under .500 and a half game out of third place in the National League Central Division. For you dreamers, the Brewers are six games out of the Wild Card hunt.