Bush flirts with no-hitter as Brewers top Phillies

[April 24, 2009]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Dave Bush held Philadelphia hitless for 7 1-3 innings before pinch-hitter Matt Stairs homered off the foul pole, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Phillies 6-1 Thursday. Several innings after World Series MVP Cole Hamels was forced to leave after getting hit in the left shoulder by Prince Fielder's line drive, Bush (1-0) became the big story on the mound.

Bush was the sixth pitcher to take a no-hit bid into the late innings this season. All of them got broken up.

Right after third baseman Bill Hall made a tremendous play to preserve Bush's try, Stairs batted for reliever Chad Durbin and launched a high fly that hit the pole in right field.

This was the third time Bush took a no-hitter into the eighth inning. He did it in 2004 for Toronto in his third major league start, going 7 1-3 innings against Oakland, and lost another bid last June 19 when Toronto's Lyle Overbay hit a leadoff triple in the eighth.

Bush, from nearby Conestoga, Pa., gave up two hits in 7 2-3 innings. He drew a standing ovation when he left after Shane Victorino's single. The right-hander walked three, struck out four and hit two batters, including Jimmy Rollins leading off the first.

Bush and Boston's Tim Wakefield each had no-bids this year that went 7 1-3 innings. Randy Johnson, Ted Lilly, A.J. Burnett and Trevor Cahill had their tries broken up in the seventh.

Ryan Braun and Hall homered for Milwaukee and Fielder contributed a three-run double. The Brewers won a series for the first time this year, beating the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last season.

Hamels (0-2), also the MVP of the 2008 NLCS, struck out six in the first three innings. One pitch after giving up Braun's two-run homer in the fourth, Hamels was struck on the front of his left shoulder by Fielder's liner that went for an infield single.

Trainers immediately tended to Hamels, who left the game with what the team called a bruise. Hamels is off to rough start this year with a 9.69 ERA through three outings.

Bush became the first Brewers pitcher to go seven innings this season. Hall made the play of the game leading off the Phillies eighth, backhanding a sliced grounder by pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs, taking a few quick steps into foul territory and slinging a throw that Fielder neatly picked at first base.

Notes: Phillies C Carlos Ruiz (strained right oblique) is scheduled to start a rehabilitation assignment on Saturday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ... The Phillies reinstated LHP Michael Zagurski from the disabled list and optioned him to Single-A Clearwater. ... LF Braun has not committed an error in 164 games.

[Associated Press]

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