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 Acquired last week from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the left
fielder went hitless in his first seven at-bats after joining the
Milwaukee Brewers but came through when it mattered most Tuesday
night, belting a seventh-inning, solo home run to break a 3-3 tie in
the Brewers' 4-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Miller
Park.
"It's big," said Parra, who hit six home runs with the Diamondbacks
this season. "I just wanted to make a good swing. To make a homer,
that's perfect.
"But I think the catch is better."
The "catch" Parra was referring to came a half-inning later and just
may have saved the game for the Brewers, who lost their previous two
games and were in danger of falling into a first-place tie with the
St. Louis Cardinals.
Milwaukee left-hander Will Smith came on to work the eighth in place
of right-hander Jimmy Nelson. After getting first baseman Brandon
Belt to pop out to second, Smith walked third baseman Pablo
Sandoval.
Manager Ron Roenicke then turned to right-hander Jeremy Jeffress,
who put a second runner on by walking pinch hitter Michael Morse.
Shortstop Brandon Crawford was next, and he popped a 2-1 fastball
into shallow foul territory in left.
Parra, charging the ball, timed his slide perfectly and made the
catch just short of the wall for the second out of the inning.
"Huge play," Roenicke said. "I like Khris Davis in left field, he
does a really nice job, but I don't think Khris Davis probably gets
to that ball. It's just a matter of foot speed. Parra runs well. He
did a great job knowing where he was with the wall and going to that
little slide there. Not many left fielders are going to make that
play."
Jeffress got out of the inning by striking out pinch hitter Buster
Posey. Brewers closer Francisco Rodriguez earned his 33rd save with
a scoreless ninth inning that ended with a replay.
Rodriguez retired the first two batters before walking right fielder
Hunter Pence, who reached three times on the day. Second baseman Joe
Panik worked the count even at 1-1 before bouncing to Rickie Weeks
at second.
Umpire Hal Gibson originally ruled Panik safe at first, but Roenicke
asked for a review. After 3 minutes and 17 seconds, the call was
overturned.
"I didn't think they were going to overturn it," San Francisco
manager Bruce Bochy said. "I just don't see how it got overturned.
It was so close. You always hear the word 'conclusive.' But they
did, and that is the game."
Nelson (2-2) held the Giants to three runs on six hits over seven
innings. He walked one and struck out five.
All three San Francisco runs came via a home run from third baseman
Pablo Sandoval in the sixth. Nelson recovered to retire six of his
final seven batters.
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"I missed my spot there, and (Sandoval) did what he was supposed
to with it," said Nelson, who missed his last turn in the rotation
because of a blister. "I was able to come back and get a few ground
balls.
"They made some great plays behind me today. Rickie (Weeks) made
that awesome play there at second. There were several of them. It
was good just to get another couple innings after that. You have to
just go pitch by pitch. That's one of the things I've been talking
to the starters here about. I feel like I was able to do that."
Center fielder Carlos Gomez accounted for Milwaukee's first three
runs. He hit two-run home run in the third that gave the Brewers a
2-0 lead. Gomez drove in another run in the fifth, laying down a
near-perfect bunt that scored second Weeks, who doubled and advanced
to third on a wild pitch.
"That's an outstanding play," Roenicke said. "That's a guy looking
at the game, at what needs to be done and knew that one run was more
important than him maybe driving a ball into the gap.
"It was great timing and great execution."
Giants starter Tim Lincecum said he wasn't expecting a bunt from
Gomez, who has 15 homers on the season.
"It was a nice bunt," said Lincecum, who threw six innings of
three-run ball and struck out eight.
Parra's decisive homer was the only hit Giants reliever Jean Machi
(6-1) allowed in his two innings.
NOTES: Milwaukee placed RHP Matt Garza on the 15-day disabled list
and recalled RHP Rob Wooten from Triple-A Nashville. Garza strained
his left oblique Sunday at St. Louis. ... ... OF Angel Pagan made a
second rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Fresno. If all goes well,
he could rejoin the Giants on Wednesday in Milwaukee. Pagan has not
played in the majors since June 15 due to back pain.
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