Steve Webb
MILWAUKEE, WI — The Brewers’ starter Eric Lauer has been known to give the Dodgers fits over the course of his career. And Wednesday night was no different. Lauer was great. Only problem was, Tony Gonsolin was spectacular. For his third straight start Gonsolin was dominant, holding the Brewers to just a handful of baserunners over seven brilliant scoreless innings. It was a start so good that even Craig Kimbrel couldn’t screw it up. And, Austin Barnes (of all people) and Max Muncy provided the offensive punch in the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the Brewers on Wednesday night.
Dodgers whiff on another first inning chance
The game started off promisingly enough, when Mookie Betts led off with a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Trea Turner drew a second straight walk from starter Eric Lauer, and it seemed like the Dodgers were going to jump all over the Brewers early. But things quickly went south on the Dodgers as once again they couldn’t cash in the runner with three chances to do so. Freddie Freeman flew out to shallow center, too shallow to score even the speedy Mookie Betts. And, after Justin Turner and Chris Taylor both went down swinging, the inning was over, and Lauer was off the hook.
Gonsolin perfect the first time through the order
Meanwhile, Tony Gonsolin picked up right where he left off in Kansas City. He came out on fire, throwing strikes and getting weak contact. It wasn’t until Keston Hiura banged a single into left in the bottom of the fifth that the Brewers even had a hit on the board. However, after the shaky first inning, Lauer had settled in as well, and the game went into the sixth inning in a flat-footed 0-0 tie.
Austin Barnes, that’s who!
That all changed on the first pitch of the 6th inning. With the 9-hole hitter Austin Barnes digging in at the dish, Lauer threw a pretty meaty fastball to the Dodger catcher, perhaps counting on a take from Barnes who was seeing his first game action in over a week. Making his first appearance since returning from the family emergency list, Barnes showed that he had no intention of letting a tasty cookie fly by without his notice. Barnesy put on a nice swing on the ball and ripped it to left center. It cleared the fence near the Brewers’ bullpen and Barnes rounded the bases with the game’s first run.
Muncy doubles the lead
After Gonsolin pitched a 1-2-3 6th inning, it was the Dodgers’ turn at the bat rack. Now trailing 1-0, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsel sent Lauer out to pitch one more inning, a decision they both would come to regret in short order.
After Lauer got the leadoff man Chris Taylor on a fly ball to right, Max Muncy dug in, ready to do battle. Lauer was emptying the tank, but he just didn’t have the put-away pitch retire Muncy. Max fouled off three straight pitches before he got one he liked on the 8th pitch of the at-bat: a nice hanging slider. Muncy ripped the ball and launched a missile into the right field seats. On a ball that left the yard practically before Muncy could finish his follow-through, the Dodgers were now out in front by a score of 2-0.
Gonsolin goes seven scoreless
Tony Gonsolin came out to pitch the seventh as well, and showed no signs of fatigue still attacking hitters nearly 100 pitches into his evening, Gonsolin retired the side on just eleven pitches, one last 1-2-3 inning to put into the books before he exited the ballgame. Gonsolin’s brilliant line for the night: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. He is now 15-1 with a 2.12 ERA. Now, Marlin Sandy Alcantara still has the inside track for the Cy Young, but Gonsolin is not the craziest choice for the award. Just a remarkable season.
Dodgers’ pen gives up one, but gets the save
Leading 2-0, Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts went to Caleb Ferguson and his 0.00 ERA to pitch the 8th, And for a bit, it looked like he’d have an easy time of it. But, something happened on the way to the third out of the inning. Suddenly, Ferguson’s control left him and he issued back-to-back walks to the 8 and 9 hitters in the Milwaukee lineup. Never a good idea. Then, when Christian Yelich banged a base hit into left, it looked like Chris Taylor might have a play at the plate to nab Tyrone Taylor, but the throw was up the first base line a couple of feet. By the time catcher Austin Barnes fielded the ball and dived for Taylor, the Brewers’ centerfielder’s hand had just scooted across home plate. Suddenly it was 2-1.
The Dodgers got nothing going in the ninth, so it was up to Craig Kimbrel once again to put a W on the board with a save. When Kimbrel got both Rowdy Tellez and Hunter Renfroe to ground out, it looked like Dave Roberts was a genius to trust his guy. However, after a single and walk to put the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on first, the strategy didn’t look so smart anymore. Finally, when Kimbrel induced a bouncing ball to third off the bat of Luis Urias, the bullet had been dodged and Kimbrel lived to see another day as the Dodger closer. Final score in this one: Dodgers 2, Brewers 1. Gonsolin gets his NL-leading 15th victory, and Kimbrel gets his 21st save in 25 chances.
Series wraps up Thursday afternoon
Time for a long lunch on Thursday. The Dodgers will wrap up their series in Cream City with a morning matinee against the Brewers. It’s going to be the toughest pitching match-up of the series for the Dodgers: last year’s Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes takes the hill for the Crew. He’s got another good year working in 2022, so the Dodgers are going to have their work cut out for them. Andrew Heaney gets the ball for the visiting Dodgers. After that, it’s off to LA and a weekend series against the Marlins before these same Brewers come into town next week. Game time Thursday: 11:10 am.
Cans of Corn…
- The biggest injury news did not involve the players. Dodger broadcaster David Vassegh went down Bernie Brewer’s slide in center field before the game, and was moving so fast at the bottom that he ran into the padded wall and cracked some ribs and broke his wrist. Just dudes being dudes, I guess.
