Dodgers capitalize on error to down Brewers
LOS ANGELES -- Andre Ethier had a pinch-hit, two-run single in the seventh inning and the Dodgers capitalized on an error by Hernan Perez to pull out a 3-2 victory on Friday at Dodger Stadium, a comeback for the club and for winning pitcher Chin-hui Tsao.
Jimmy Nelson (6-9) flirted with a no-hitter for the Brewers, but took the loss, snapping a three-start winning streak. He didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning, but gave up a trio of unearned runs in the seventh. Perez committed a fielding error with two outs in the frame to keep the inning alive, which spurred the Dodgers' comeback.
"We let this one slip away, no question," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.
Tsao saw his first action since July 14, 2007, and earned his first victory since May 11, 2005, with an inning of scoreless relief. Mike Bolsinger was effective for the Dodgers, but earned a no-decision. He lasted six innings, his longest outing since June 8, allowed two runs on four hits and struck out six.
"It seemed like he had better command tonight," manager Don Mattingly said of Bolsinger. "The more he throws the fastball for a strike and he's been getting his breaking ball over, he's going to be able to go deeper into games."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Unearned rally: The Brewers subbed in Perez to play third base in the seventh inning. With two outs, Alex Guerrero hit a routine grounder to Perez at third, who bobbled it and threw the ball away at first, allowing Guerrero to reach on the error and keeping the inning alive. The Dodgers offense came alive from there with three straight hits, including Ethier's two-run single followed by a Joc Pederson RBI double to take a 3-2 lead. More >
Video: MIL@LAD: Guerrero reaches on error to spark Dodgers
"Baseball is funny. You get one hit and things kind of get rolling," Bolsinger said. "You keep a team close and with the lineup we have, we're going to produce runs, it's only a matter of time."
Video: MIL@LAD: Pederson hammers RBI double off the wall
No-hit hopes dashed: The Brewers haven't celebrated a no-hitter since Juan Nieves went the distance in Baltimore in 1987, though Nelson gave it a good run Friday. He didn't allow a Dodgers hit until Pederson dropped a single in front of right fielder Ryan Braun, who chose a very cautious approach to a sinking line drive. More >
"That's tough because Pederson is hitting in a two-strike count, and he's taking a full hack on a ball that jams him," Nelson said. "Those balls can sometimes be tough to read. If it's a little 'excuse me' swing or something, that's different."
Remarkable comeback: Tsao earned the win in his first MLB game in eight years. It was the 34-year-old's fifth Major League win and first in more than a decade (May 11, 2005 with Colorado). Disgraced in scandal back in his native Taiwan, the Dodgers signed the right-hander to a Minor League contract before Spring Training with no invitation to Major League camp. More >
Video: MIL@LAD: Tsao fans Nelson in first action since 2007
Getting wild: The only runs against Bolsinger came in the fifth inning, on a pair of wild pitches. With runners on first and second, Nelson couldn't get a sacrifice bunt down, but a Bolsinger curveball got past catcher Yasmani Grandal to advance the runners. After an RBI groundout, another wild pitch allowed Scooter Gennett to score.
Video: MIL@LAD: Gennett races home on Bolsinger's wild pitch
"It's a tough pitch to block because it takes a tough spin," Mattingly said. "He's throwing where we want it. We just have to try to keep it in front somehow."
Glovework: Brewers second baseman Gennett kept Nelson's no-hit bid alive by denying the Dodgers' Justin Turner a one-out single in the fourth inning. Gennett backhanded a grounder headed for center field and threw on to first base for the second out of what would become Nelson's third 1-2-3 inning in the first four frames.
Video: MIL@LAD: Gennett backhands laser and fires to first
QUOTABLE
"I wanted to make the play. I tried to throw the ball from my glove to my hand, so I missed the grip. I didn't have the ball. I feel bad because [Nelson] threw a great game. That's part of the game, you know?" -- Perez, on his costly error in the seventh inning
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The loss snapped Milwaukee's seven-game road winning streak. The franchise record for consecutive wins away from home remains nine, set in 1973 and matched in 2008.
UPON FURTHER REVIEW
In the top of the third, the Dodgers challenged the call on a close play at first base. Braun struck out on a curveball in the dirt, which got away from Grandal and Braun was initially ruled safe on the throw to first. After a review, the call was overturned and the inning was over.
Video: MIL@LAD: Braun out after an overturned call
WHAT'S NEXT
Brewers: Rookie right-hander Taylor Jungmann, who has provided the Brewers a boost since a June 9 promotion from Triple-A, will close out his first half with a Saturday start against the Dodgers. Jungmann is coming off an eight-inning, one-run performance against the Reds, and the Brewers are 4-2 when he takes the mound.
Dodgers: Brandon Beachy will make his first start since Aug. 20, 2013, after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in March 2014. This will be Beachy's Dodger debut, he played for the Braves from 2010-13, as he's filling the injured Carlos Frias' spot in the rotation. More >
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