Brewers score in all 8 innings they bat, beat Braves
MILWAUKEE (AP) Just before the start of the ninth inning, Braves first base coach Eddie Perez made Chris Carter aware that Milwaukee had accomplished a rare feat.
The Brewers' struggling hitters broke out to score in every inning they batted for the first time in franchise history, beating Atlanta 11-3 Thursday.
It was the eighth time since 1961 a team has scored in each inning it hit during a nine-inning game, the Elias Sports Bureau said.
''I then looked up (at the scoreboard) and was like, `Oh yeah, we did score in every inning,''' Carter said. ''I didn't even notice that. That's pretty cool. I don't think I've ever seen that.''
The Brewers needed an RBI triple from Orlando Arcia with two outs in the eighth to score. Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte almost came up with a diving catch, but the ball skipped past him, allowing Jonathan Villar to come around from first base.
''We were talking about it in the dugout,'' Arcia said through a translator. ''I wasn't even thinking about it in my last at-bat. I was just trying to get a good pitch, put a good swing on it and try to get a hit.''
Carter hit a two-run homer in the first to put the Brewers on the board. Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead in the second when they tried a double steal. Manny Pina was tagged out between second and first, but Keon Broxton scampered home.
Scooter Gennett and Hernan Perez hit solo homers in the third and fourth to help Milwaukee build a 6-0 lead for Matt Garza. The Brewers' run in the fifth inning came on a two-out single by Gennett.
Erick Aybar homered and Nick Markakis had an RBI single in the Atlanta sixth. Aybar also doubled and singled.
The Brewers pulled away in the bottom half on a three-run double by Pina. Perez added a two-out RBI single in the seventh to keep the run of scoring in every inning alive.
''You don't see that look on the scoreboard ever,'' Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. ''I've never seen it before.''
Garza (4-4) won his third straight start, allowing two runs and seven hits in six innings.
''I've been say for a while that I've just been waiting for my stuff to come back,'' Garza said. ''It's back. I've been able to pitch like I have in the past. It is refreshing. It is a spot I've worked real hard to get back to.''
Making his second start of the season, Roberto Hernandez (1-1) gave up five runs and seven hits in four innings.
After scoring eight runs in the first three games of the series, the Brewers wound up with 14 hits.
''I don't think I've been a part of that before,'' Braves left fielder Jeff Francouer said. ''It was tough. You want to tack on runs every inning and they were able to do that against us. When you let that happen, you're not going to win.''
SMOOTH TRANSITION
By going 3 for 5, Brewers 3B Jonathan Villar is hitting .432 (16 for 37) since moving from shortstop to third base to allow top prospect Arcia into the lineup.
ON THE BOARD
Pina's double gave him the first three-RBI game of his career. The 29-year-old was making his third start for the Brewers since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Aug. 1. He played five games with Kansas City over the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Braves: RHP Joel De La Cruz is hoping to be able to make his next start after leaving Wednesday's game with a right knee contusion.
Brewers: OF Domingo Santana (right elbow soreness) will play his third rehab game with Class A Wisconsin on Thursday in Beloit. OF Ryan Braun was given the day off.
UP NEXT
Braves: RHP Mike Foltynewicz (5-5, 4.37 ERA) will face Washington for the first time in his career Friday. He limited the Cardinals to one run over six innings in his last start.
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (6-11, 4.02 ERA) will look to snap out of a rut when he faces Cincinnati on Friday. After posting a 2.88 ERA in his first 11 starts, Nelson is 1-8 with a 5.40 ERA in his last 12.
