LDN - Sports

Davies, Brewers bullpen quiet Padres

[August 03, 2016] SAN DIEGO -- Zach Davies felt his confidence grow as Tuesday night's game at Petco Park progressed, even though he knew he wasn't going all the way.

"It's easy to be confident when you see the game unfold like that," the Milwaukee right-hander said after the Brewers posted a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres.

"You have a solid defense behind you and the bullpen still coming through even though we are missing some guys. They are not missing a beat."

Davies and three relievers held the Padres to six hits. Ryan Braun snapped a 1-1 tie with his 15th homer, Hernan Perez had three hits and scored twice, and Jonathan Villar added three hits.

Davies (9-4) got the win after allowing six hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings, but the Brewers bullpen deserved the most credit.

Right-handers Carlos Torres, Corey Knebel and Tyler Thornburg retired 10 consecutive Padres to end the game.

Torres entered the game with two on and two outs in the sixth, and he set down Derek Norris on a high fly to right to end the threat. Torres then worked a perfect seventh.

Knebel threw a perfect eighth. Thornburg took over for departed closer Jeremy Jeffress, and he struck out the last two Padres he faced in a perfect ninth to earn his third save.

"That is what I expected," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of the bullpen's work. "Torres is pitching at a really high level and has been all season. Corey is getting back to where he was last year. Every pitch was a high-stress pitch.

"And Zach has really established himself. He got on a pretty good roll tonight."

Braun, who missed the previous five starts with tightness in his right side, drove a hanging slider from Padres starter Luis Perdomo 405 feet into the seats in left-center for his 15th homer of the season leading off the sixth to snap a 1-1 tie.

"Perdomo was pretty tough," Counsell said of the Padres starter and loser, who lowered his earned run average for an eighth straight start. "His sinker was good, but Braun got a slider."

Perdomo allowed three runs on 10 hits and four walks with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

"I'm really pleased with Luis," manager Andy Green said of the 23-year-old right-hander who started the season as a Rule 5 draftee in the bullpen but has evolved into the Padres' most dependable starter. "The breaking ball to Braun wasn't the best selection."

The Brewers quickly upped their lead to 3-1 immediately after Braun's homer.

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Perez legged out an infield single to short and raced home from first on Chris Carter's double into the left field corner.

The Padres got one of the runs back in the bottom of the sixth when Jabari Blash lined a two-out single off the glove of Milwaukee third baseman Villar to drive home Wil Myers, who had singled with one out and advanced to second when Alex Dickerson drew a walk.

Blash played a role in the first runs scored by each team.

A poor route to a fly ball by the Padres right fielder led to the Brewers taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. However, Blash used his speed to get the run back in the bottom of the inning.

Blash, who was promoted from Triple-A El Paso to take over in right when Matt Kemp was traded to the Atlanta Braves, ran a circuitous path on a Perez drive toward the warning track leading off the fourth.

Perez, who was credited with a ground-rule double when the drive bounced into the stands, stole third and scored on a wild pitch by Perdomo, who had almost worked his way out of the jam.

Blash drew a two-out walk from Davies in the bottom of the fourth and immediately stole second, putting himself to score on a line-drive single to left-center by Norris, who had gone hitless in 20 straight at-bats before the hit.

NOTES: The Brewers promoted top prospect Orlando Arcia, who turns 22 Thursday, from Triple-A Colorado Springs and immediately started him at shortstop. ... The arrival of Arcia moves SS Jonathan Villar to third base and 3B Hernan Perez to right field. ... The Padres designated INF/OF Hector Olivera as soon as he completed his 82-game suspension for domestic violence. The Padres had acquired Olivera from Atlanta last week in the trade that sent Matt Kemp to the Braves. ... As expected, Padres INF/OF Alexi Amarista went on the 15-day disabled list with the hamstring strain he suffered Monday night. SS Jose Rondon was recalled from Double-A San Antonio a day after being optioned to the minors. ... Manager Andy Green told veteran SS Alexei Ramirez, who started 98 of the Padres' first 103 games, that he is no longer the regular shortstop. ... An overnight scoring change gave Padres CF Travis Jankowski a third stolen base Monday night, with the addition being a steal of home for a second straight game.

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