Surging Weeks Lifts Brewers Past Yankees

[May 12, 2014]  MILWAUKEE -- Rickie Weeks strikes again.
 
 The Milwaukee Brewers' much-maligned second baseman, in the starting lineup for the second consecutive day, capped off a 3-for-5 day with a double in the ninth inning. He then scored the winning run on third baseman Mark Reynolds' RBI single as the Brewers rallied for a 6-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday at Miller Park.

Milwaukee's comeback bailed out right-hander Francisco Rodriguez, who saw his streak of 19 scoreless appearances and 15 successfully converted save opportunities end when New York first baseman Mark Teixeira slammed a game-tying home run with two outs in the top of the ninth.

Weeks, who a day earlier delivered the go-ahead RBI with a seventh-inning hit, came through again, ripping a one-out double down the first base line off right-hander Adam Warren (1-2).

Originally, it looked to be a foul ball -- and New York manager Joe Girardi came out to verify -- but first base umpire Marvin Hudson said the ball bounced in fair territory.

Weeks moved to third on a wild pitch and scored easily when Warren made a mistake with an 0-2 breaking ball to Reynolds.

"I wanted it down in the dirt, but for 0-2, you have to bury it more," Warren said. "You want to go up there with a zero and give your offense a chance to get back in there. I just couldn't quite do it."
 

With his three hits Sunday, Weeks is on a 7-for-11 roll in his past four games and 11-for-19 in his last 12 to raise his average from .120 to .318.

"He's hot," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "I know we got a break on the last ball he hit, but he's having some good at-bats ... and we need the offense right now."

Weeks also drove in two runs for Milwaukee, which fell behind early but chipped away against Yankees right-hander David Phelps, who was making his second start of the season.

Staked to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, Phelps managed to pitch around trouble in the first two innings but gave up two runs in the third on back-to-back RBI singles by Weeks and first baseman Lyle Overbay.

Milwaukee proceeded to load the bases against Phelps but couldn't cash in. The Brewers were then silenced until the sixth, when shortstop Jean Segura and catcher Martin Maldonado opened the inning with back-to-back hits.

That was the end for Phelps, who was charged with four runs on eight hits and three walks with a strikeout, a balk and a hit batter. Girardi turned to left-hander Matt Thornton, who gave up a game-tying single to catcher Jonathan Lucroy.

"I didn't think he was quite as sharp, but he still did a pretty decent job for us considering its only his second start since spring training," Girardi said of Phelps.

After Lucroy's hit, Girardi made another move, bringing in Dellin Betances, who surrendered a double to right fielder Logan Schafer that gave Milwaukee a 4-3 lead.

Weeks was up next, and he hit into a fielder's choice. Schafer got caught off second base but kept the rundown alive long enough to let Lucroy to score, adding an insurance run for Milwaukee, before Weeks was caught stealing to end the inning.

New York got a run back in the seventh on an RBI single by second baseman Yangervis Solarte but were stymied by lefty Will Smith in the eighth before tying the game on Teixeria's seventh homer of the season.

"K-Rod has been doing it for us all year long," Weeks said of Rodriguez. "He has got us out of a lot of jams already. It's good to win one for him."

The late-inning heroics helped erase a rough start by Brewers right-hander Matt Garza, who gave up three runs in a 40-pitch first inning before settling down. He got through five innings, holding the Yankees to three runs on six hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

NOTES: Yankees LHP CC Sabathia was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to fluid buildup in his right knee. RHP Matt Daley was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and RHP Alfredo Aceves is expected to take Sabathia's next turn in the rotation. ... Milwaukee plans to put 3B Aramis Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list sometime before opening a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday. Manager Ron Roenicke said the team wanted to see if OF Ryan Braun (oblique) was ready to come off the DL before making a decision on Ramirez and a corresponding roster move. ... Before the game, the Brewers honored Yankees SS Derek Jeter with a bronze-plated bat, a stay at the American Club Resort with a round of gold at Whistling Straits -- home to the 2015 PGA Championship and 2020 Ryder Cup -- and a $10,000 donation to Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation.

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