Overbay Traded to Toronto!
Oh, how about that offense?
Brewers Pound Marlins, Win 11-2
Dennis Jenders
The Overbay "O's" were curiously missing from the Buckethead Brigade tonight, but the Brewers supplied their own "O" as any doubt about the offense was erased. The Brewers bats came to life and the offensive outpour netted 11 runs on 13 hits as the Brewers got the best of the Marlins.
Carlos Lee led off the second inning with a solo blast, ending his three-week drought. Lee's last homer came on August 3rd but he tagged Josh Beckett's pitch sending it to deep center to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. But it was the fourth inning that ignited the team. Lyle Overbay led the inning off with a walk and Carlos Lee continued stroking the ball with a double. Jenkins would single to score Overbay and Bill Hall doubled to clear the bases. Damian Miller walked and J.J. Hardy singled to left. After Chris Capuano struck out Rickie Weeks singled to third scoring Miller. Corey Hart hit what looked like a an out but he reached on a throwing error which also plated Hardy. Lee would end the inning with a strike out after the entire order had seen an at-bat.
Hardy, Weeks, and Hart would single in runs in the seventh to give the Brewers an 11-1 lead. The flood gates had been opened and the Crew was on top of the Marlins. Chris Capuano almost went the distance before Jose Capellan relieved him in the ninth. Capuano who also added a single in the third pitched a gem. Going eight innings he allowed just two runs on eight hits and walking just one. He also added eight strikeouts on his was to his 14th win this season, the first Brewers pitcher to do so since Cal Eldred won 16 games in 1997.
While Capuano was stellar, Marlins ace Josh Beckett was yanked in the fourth after allowing seven runs. The Marlins have one of the best pitching staffs in the league and the Brewers needed to find their stroke to beat them. With a 12 game home stand the Brewers have an excellent chance to gain ground in the Wild Card race and prove themselves against the Braves later in the week. Just two games under .500 and 20 wins away from a winning season the Crew will need to continue the hot hitting Wednesday night when Tomo Ohka (8-7) faces A.J. Burnett (12-6).