Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell and Jake Bauers delivered RBI singles in the ninth inning as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers struck the first blow in a key four-game series by rallying for a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.
The National League Central-leading Brewers rebounded after they were swept in a three-game series at San Diego. Milwaukee opened a two-game lead for the best record in the NL over the West-leading Dodgers, who dropped a half-game behind the East-leading Atlanta Braves in the overall league standings.
DL Hall (2-0) threw two scoreless innings of relief for the Brewers, and Trevor Megill pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save.
Trailing 4-2 in the ninth inning, Milwaukee received consecutive one-out singles from Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, Chourio and Mitchell against Edwin Diaz (2-2) to tie the score 4-4. Bauers’ go-ahead single to right came against Alex Vesia.
Max Muncy hit a three-run pinch-hit home run for the Dodgers, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
The Brewers got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning when Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki struggled with his command. Milwaukee loaded the bases on singles from Gary Sanchez and Christian Yelich sandwiching Andrew Vaughn’s walk. Ortiz and Hamilton walked in runs with two outs for a 2-0 advantage.
The Dodgers cut the deficit in half in the fifth inning when Ben Rortvedt slapped an RBI single into left field.
In the sixth, Los Angeles’ Tommy Edman and Freddie Freeman walked with one out. Antonio Senzatela replaced Shane Drohan and fanned Teoscar Hernandez before Muncy hit his three-run shot to right-center for a 4-2 lead.
The drive was Muncy’s 131st long ball at Dodger Stadium, breaking a tie with former Los Angeles slugger Eric Karros for the venue’s record.
Freeman played one day after he tumbled onto the concrete in the visitor’s dugout while chasing a foul ball. He had been listed as day-to-day with two sore kneecaps as well as a sore side, hand and wrist.
Sasaki gave up two runs on four hits over six innings with five walks and two strikeouts. Drohan allowed three runs on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
