Thursday, August 07, 2014
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Giants rough up Brewers' Gallardo

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[August 07, 2014]  MILWAUKEE -- Yovani Gallardo wasn't about to mince words after making his second-shortest start of the season.

"It sucks, it definitely sucks," said the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander, who allowed four runs on nine hits and four walks in four innings Wednesday. "The past few starts I think everything was right in place. But you know what? That's how this game is."

Gallardo took the loss as the Brewers fell 7-4 to the San Francisco Giants at Miller Park.

"Sometimes there are certain things you can't explain," Gallardo said. "It's tough for the guys to come back after giving up three runs in the first inning. At that point, you just want to not allow any more and try to get as deep as you can. I was battling the whole night."

It took Gallardo 30 pitches to get through the first inning.

The first two San Francisco batters reached on singles. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval put San Francisco on the board with an RBI single, and left fielder Michael Morse drove in two more with a base hit to right.
 


Two wild pitches hurt Gallardo, who finally got out of the inning without further damage when Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong had a mental lapse running out a grounder to second.

Brewers shortstop Jean Segura fielded the ball and tried to get the force at second unassisted, but he got to the bag a step behind baserunner Brandon Crawford.

Segura hesitated for a moment before realizing Vogelsong pulled up, and he was able to make the throw to first in time.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Gallardo, "Lately, he's been pretty good, so I don't know what happened today. He really didn't have command of any of his pitches. Just one of those days."

The Brewers got a run back in the bottom of the first on a leadoff home run by center fielder Carlos Gomez but were otherwise stymied by Vogelsong, who gave up seven hits and a walk and struck out three over six innings.

"Stuff I was doing the last start didn't work today, so it was kind of a weird day," Vogelsong said. "It kind of felt like I was trying something new every inning, and I was just fortunate enough to have balls hit right at people. I made some pitches when I needed to, but it wasn't really how I wanted to draw it up. But I got through it."

Morse, back in the lineup after getting a two-day "mental break" from manager Bruce Bochy, gave Vogelsong an insurance run in the fourth, driving in catcher Buster Posey with an RBI single.

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"We talked briefly," Bochy said. "He's done so much for this club, and I wanted him to know that. He's such a veteran. He's a man, and he gets it. ... He's helped put us in a good position. We have a lot of baseball left, and we haven't done anything. But because of him, we have a chance to get to where we want to go."

Sandoval also finished with three RBIs. He hit a two-run, eighth-inning home run off left-hander Tom Gorzelanny, his 14th of the season.

Sandoval's home run created some breathing room after the Brewers got within a run in the seventh on a two-run single by third baseman Aramis Ramirez.

Milwaukee left fielder Khris Davis belted a solo home run in the ninth, but the Brewers, despite collecting 13 hits, went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10.

"We squared up some balls that would have been really big for us if they had fallen in," Roenicke said. "We swung the bat well."

Despite the loss -- the Brewers' seventh in 11 games -- Milwaukee maintained a one-game lead in the NL Central over the Cardinals, who lost 2-1 to the Boston Red Sox in St. Louis.

NOTES: Giants CF Angel Pagan wrapped up his rehab assignment by going 1-for-4 with an RBI on Tuesday for Triple-A Fresno. He was expected to join the Giants in Milwaukee late Wednesday night. ... 2B Scooter Gennett returned to the Brewers' lineup Wednesday for just the second time since July 29. Gennett has been dealing with a strained left quad. ... The Giants lost five in a row at Miller Park and seven of their last nine games in Milwaukee before Wednesday's win.

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