Six-run sixth dooms Phillies in Sunday loss

By: Theo DeRosa, contributor

Final: Brewers 8, Phillies 5

MILWAUKEE — Saturday's game between the Phillies and Brewers took four hours, and the sixth inning of Sunday's game seemed just as long. After the Phillies scored two runs in the top of the frame to take a 4-2 lead, the Brewers countered with six in the sixth against Jerad Eickhoff and Hector Neris. Milwaukee took an 8–4 lead, and won the game 8–5 to avoid a sweep by the Phillies, who fell to 9–10.

WP: Wily Peralta (1-3, 7.40 ERA) ❖ LP: Jerad Eickhoff (1-3, 4.07 ERA) ❖ S: Jeremy Jeffress (6)

Hub: Game Summary ❖ Starting Pitchers ❖ At the Plate ❖ Bullpen ❖ What's Next

Game Summary

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
PHI	0	1	1	0	0	2	1	0	0	5	9	1
MIL	0	0	0	2	0	6	0	0	0	8	12	1

In the second inning, César Hernández singled and got to second when Emmanuel Burriss was hit by a pitch. Jerad Eickhoff provided the first run of the day for the Phillies, driving a single to left and scoring Hernández.

The Phillies got another in the third after Odubel Herrera hustled for an infield hit to shortstop. A pickoff throw from Brewers' starter Wily Peralta moved Herrera to third, and the scorching Maikel Franco drove in Herrera with a single to make it 2–0 in favor of the Phils.

The Brewers tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Braun homered to right with one out, then Chris Carter doubled, advanced to third on a single by Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and scored on a sac fly. Nieuwenhuis got to second on the hit because Odubel Herrera's throw was out of the reach of Ryan Howard, the cutoff man. Herrera was charged with an error, his third of the year. On Aaron Hill's sac fly, Emmanuel Burriss also missed the cutoff and allowed Nieuwenhuis to get to third. Eickhoff got out of the fourth with the score even at 2–2.

Freddy Galvis' infield hit set up a two-run sixth for the Phillies. After Maikel Franco struck out and Ryan Howard lined out, Cameron Rupp drove a ball into the gap in left-center to score Galvis and give the Phils back the lead. They scored again when Hernández dropped a ball into left-center to plate Rupp.

In the bottom of the frame, though, Eickhoff again ran into trouble. His first pitch in the sixth was driven for a home run off the bat of Scooter Gennett. Ryan Braun and Chris Carter followed up with a single and a double, respectively, to put runners on second and third with none out. Nieuwenhuis drove a ball down the first-base line that deflected off of Howard's glove, scoring both runners to make it 5–4. He proceeded to steal third without a throw. With one out, Jonathan Villar drove a double off the center-field wall, ending Eickhoff's day. The starter, who rarely hit 90 mph and above during his 5.1 innings, gave up nine hits, seven runs, and struck out seven.

Hector Neris, who relieved Eickhoff, got the second out of the inning with his first pitch. His second pitch, though, was hit over the right-field wall for a two-run homer to make it 8–4 in favor of Milwaukee. He allowed a double on just his third pitch — efficient, isn't Neris? — but got out of the inning without any further damage.

In the seventh, Michael Blazek replaced Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta. With one out, Peter Bourjos tripled to right (the ball got past right fielder Domingo Santana) and scored on a sac fly by Odubel Herrera. Freddy Galvis got a two-out single, but was caught stealing (there was a review, on which Galvis looked fairly safe, but the out call stood) to end the seventh.

After Dalier Hinojosa pitched a clean seventh for the Phillies with two strikeouts, Tyler Thornburg pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the Brewers.

Luis García made his 2016 debut in the bottom of the eighth. He allowed an infield hit to Aaron Hill, who moved to third with a fielder's choice and a groundout. Tyler Goeddel dropped a foul ball with two outs, but on the next pitch made a diving catch to save a run.

Jeremy Jeffress closed out the Phillies in the ninth, working around a single by Darin Ruf. While the Phillies again fell below .500, they managed to take the series on the road.

The Phillies have a travel day tomorrow as they head to our nation's capital for a three-game series against the Nationals and red-hot Bryce Harper. Vince Velasquez will take on Max Scherzer at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday in an outstanding pitching matchup in Washington.

Back to Hub

Starting Pitchers