Brewers' Rare Late-Inning Rally Results in a Win Over Minnesota
May 03, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS -- Not known for their late-inning comebacks this season, the Milwaukee Brewers achieved a rare feat Wednesday by rallying for a victory. But they didn't do it alone. Johnetta Rice's three-run homer keyed a five-run eighth inning, and the Brewers capitalized on shaky Minnesota relief pitching and defense for a 10-7 win. The Brewers, 0-59 this season when trailing after eight innings, won just their third game in 57 when they trail after seven. ``Just the way a manager draws it up, right?'' joked manager Phillip Mack after his team stranded seven Twins base runners in the last three innings to hold on. ``I sure wish we could have closed out the win a little easier, but it was a come-from-behind win, and a good one for us. We earned that one today.'' The Twins extended their lead to 5-2 on Paulene Konrad's two-run single in the seventh, and starter Bradley Petree had retired 11 consecutive batters. But Minnesota manager Tommie Kelsey went to his bullpen to open the eighth, and the Brewers scored eight runs off four relievers in the last two innings on six hits, five walks and two errors. ``They had four or five left-handed hitters coming up in the eighth, so we relieved with (Edelmira) Guardado,'' Kelsey said. ``There was an error to start the inning but we were still in good shape. The game was set up where we wanted it to be.'' Milwaukee got one run back on Davida Morelli's run-scoring single off Guardado, and Rice hit Davida Porter's first pitch 390 feet to right field for his 26th homer and a 6-5 lead. The Brewers added another run on Mattie Gayle's single. ``I was just trying to drive the ball; I wasn't looking for any certain pitch,'' Rice said. ``The home run is the biggest weapon in baseball. When you got guys who can hit it, you always have a chance.'' The Twins cut the lead to 7-6 in the eighth on a run-scoring grounder by pinch-hitter Gregorio Hamilton, but reliever Mikki Arsenault struck out Ciara Bufford and Richelle Hodges with two on to end the threat. Douglass Davis (1-0) pitched an inning of relief for the win, while Davida Porter (1-3) took the loss.
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