Wednesday, August 20, 2014
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Fiers pitches Brewers past Blue Jays

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[August 20, 2014]  MILWAUKEE -- While some teams bet the farm at the trade deadline to acquire a front-line starter for the stretch run, the Milwaukee Brewers didn't have to look far to bolster their rotation when right-hander Matt Garza landed on the disabled list earlier this month.

Right-hander Mike Fiers has been dominant since joining Milwaukee's starting rotation on Aug. 8, and he offered up another gem Tuesday, holding the Toronto Blue Jays to a run on two hits over six innings as the Brewers beat Toronto 6-1 at Miller Park.

"He came and did the same thing [he's been doing]; he attacked the zone," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "He was able to locate [his fastball] well and throw in enough breaking balls and change-ups to keep them off-balance. He keeps doing it. Hopefully it continues."

Fiers, who struck out 14 in six innings last Thursday in Chicago, fanned six Tuesday. In 21 innings (as a starter), has 25 strikeouts.

"I feel like I can compete at this level, and compete well at this level," Fiers said. "If I'm doing what I'm doing and focusing on what I need to do on the mound -- throwing strikes and spotting the ball up -- I feel like I can pitch like this and help this team out."
 


He gave up a first-inning walk to Toronto right fielder Edwin Encarnacion, then, in the second inning, he allowed a leadoff single to catcher Dioner Navarro and a double to center fielder Cobly Rasmus, who later scored on a groundout. Fiers set down the next 18 batters in a row to close out his day.

"Awesome effort," said Jonathan Lucroy, who played first base and made a diving stab in the sixth to rob shortstop Jose Reyes of a base hit. "I didn't expect anything less the way he's been pitching. He's really been contributing and stepped up and gave us a chance to win."

Lucroy and the Brewers' offense gave Fiers plenty of support.

Still riding high after a three-game sweep of the Dodgers in Los Angeles over the weekend, Milwaukee pounded out 10 hits -- including a season-high eight doubles.

Lucroy and third baseman Aramis Ramirez had two doubles each, including one apiece in the first as Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead.

Center fielder Carlos Gomez opened the inning with a double off Toronto right-hander J.A. Happ and scored when Lucroy followed with a two-base hit to the gap in right.

Right fielder Ryan Braun flew out to left, for the first out, but Ramirez kept the inning going when he ripped one up the middle to score Lucroy.

Happ followed by walking left fielder Khris Davis before recording two straight strikeouts to end the inning.

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Happ worked a perfect second, but the Brewers struck again in the third. Lucroy led off with his second double of the game and scored on a Braun single to right. Davis made it a 4-1 game with a sacrifice fly before Happ again settled in and stranded runners at first and second.

The offensive onslaught would bring Happ's day to an early end. He was pulled with two on and one out in the fourth, having already thrown 70 pitches.

"With Lucroy and those guys coming up, I mean, they've been barreling him all night," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "With first and second, you've got to try to keep the team in the game. We were able to do that, but then they came out and got Red [Todd Redmond] early, too, for a couple."

Happ was charged with four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three in his third consecutive loss.

"We got outplayed and it started with me," Happ said. "I got us in a hole early, behind early. And it's tough against anybody, let alone a first-place team. Everybody's got to do their part and I came up short tonight."

Milwaukee has won five in a row and maintained a 2 1/2-game lead over the second-place Cardinals, who beat Cincinnati 5-4 Tuesday night.

NOTES: With no designated hitter against the Brewers, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons sat 1B Adam Lind and started INF Edwin Encarnacion at first Tuesday. Encarnacion began the night 2-for-12 with a home run since coming off the disabled list last Friday. ... Brewers RHP Jim Henderson underwent season-ending right shoulder surgery Tuesday. Henderson was out since May 2 due to inflammation in the shoulder. ... The Blue Jays were the first team to sweep the Brewers this season, taking both games of a two-game set last month in Toronto. All time, The Blue Jays are 118-161 against the Brewers, who played in the AL East from 1972-93.

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