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 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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