MILWAUKEE – The Brewers racked up strikeouts on the mound, ran wild on the bases and flexed some power while winning five of six games on their opening homestand.
But sometimes, you just take what the other team gives you.
Three Tampa Bay errors charged to Junior Caminero on both corners of the infield paved the way for an 8-2 Brewers win on Wednesday at American Family Field, where Brice Turang made Caminero and the Rays pay for one miscue with a game-tying, two-run home run in the third inning before Christian Yelich made them pay for another with a go-ahead, two-run single to kickstart the six-run eighth inning rally that sealed a series victory.
It was Yelich’s second clutch hit in the eighth inning on the homestand, after his pinch-hit, three-run homer provided an early-season signature moment for these Brewers against the White Sox on Sunday.
Three of the Brewers’ runs were unearned because they followed errors charged to Caminero, who made two errant throws at third base and dropped a throw at first after he moved across the diamond for the eighth. That helped the Brewers load the bases for Yelich, who bounced a single through the right side of the infield for a 4-2 Brewers lead that grew to 8-2 when Garrett Mitchell added a two-run double and Blake Perkins and David Hamilton drove in a run apiece.
Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski built on his 11-strikeout gem on Opening Day against the White Sox with the Brewers’ first quality start of the season to close out the homestand. He held the Rays to two runs on four hits in six innings, with two walks and seven strikeouts.