A rally headed by a Jackie Bradley Jr. home run gave the Brewers a chance, but they were no match for the Phillies tonight. Aaron Nola gets the win, while Eric Lauer falls to 1-1 on the season.
Urías, Cain, Bradley Jr. Make It Close
Luis Urías, Lorenzo Cain, and Jackie Bradley Jr. headlined a four-run seventh inning comeback, but it was not enough to entirely shift the momentum of the game.
Urías sent a single to left field with two runners on and no outs, scoring Avisail García, and lowering the Phillies’ lead to 6-2. Urías would finish the game going 1-for-5, with three strikeouts.
Lorenzo Cain would pinch-hit for first baseman Daniel Vogelbach after the Urías single. He grounded out to drive in second baseman Kolten Wong, bringing the game even closer. Cain would not stay in the game after that at-bat, as he gets eased into the lineup after coming back off the injured list.
Then, Jackie Bradley Jr. stepped to the plate. With two outs, Bradley Jr. sent a ball to deep center field, going over the outstretched glove of Phillies’ centerfielder Odubel Herrera. Bradley Jr. brought the Brewers within one run, and faced another high pressure situation in the ninth inning. With two outs and runners on the corners, Bradley Jr. popped out to left field to end the game. Like Urías, Bradley Jr. finished 1-for-5 on the night, with the home run being his only hit.
Lauer, Defense Struggle in the Third
Eric Lauer Power Hour?
Not tonight, unfortunately.
Lauer pitched in six innings of work tonight, but struggled early on. His struggles peaked in the third inning, in which he surrendered five runs, four of which came on home runs from Andrew McCutchen and former Brewer Brad Miller. He’d end the night with eight hits and seven strikeouts. His ERA on the night? Only 1.64.
How did it stay that low if he gave up six runs?
The answer boils down to third baseman Travis Shaw.
A two-out throwing error by Shaw in the third inning gave the Phillies an opportunity to capitalize. And capitalize they did. A RBI single by Didi Gregorious, followed by Miller’s blast to right field capped off a five-run inning for the Phillies’ offense.
What’s Next?
Following tonight’s contest, the Brewers and Phillies will square off for game three of this four game series. Freddy Peralta will take the mound for the Crew. Peralta looks to remain undefeated on the season, entering tomorrow’s game 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA. He also has 45 strikeouts this season, which is only two less than his total from a year ago, in which he had nine more starts.
Former Brewers’ pitcher Chase Anderson will throw for the Phillies tomorrow. Anderson is off to a slow start to the 2021 season in his first year in Philadelphia. He posts a 1-3 record, a 5.40 ERA, and a career-low 1.90 K/BB ratio.
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