Onetime Brewers prospect Michael Brantley burned his former team for four hits and four RBIs in leading the Indians to a 7-5 win at Miller Park on Wednesday and a split of this two-game Interleague series.
Brantley, who has proven to be the key piece of the prospect package sent to Cleveland in the July 2008 trade for CC Sabathia, hit a tying three-run home run off Brewers starter Kyle Lohse in the third inning, a go-ahead single in the fifth and finished a triple shy of the cycle as the Indians overcame a shaky start from rookie right-hander Cody Anderson (four runs in 2 2/3 innings). Five Indians relievers combined to hold the Brewers at bay over the final 6 1/3 frames.
“Cody, probably coming off the break, was maybe a little too strong,” Indians manager Terry Francona said, “He was having trouble driving the ball down. He left some changeups up. To his credit, he gave up 10 hits and nine were singles and he didn’t walk anybody. So even though it wasn’t a great outing, the game wasn’t out of reach. And then Brantley ties it up and our bullpen did a great job.”
Adam Lind had four hits and four RBIs for the Brewers, who brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Lohse endured another poor outing at a time during which his hold of a spot in Milwaukee’s starting rotation is tenuous. He surrendered five earned runs on 10 hits, including home runs for Brantley and Francisco Lindor.
“You have tough spots, you just keep grinding,” Lohse said. “That’s why I’ve been able to stay in the game as long as I have. I know how to grind through those tough spots. There were a couple innings there that really could have gotten away, especially late. I know how to pitch. I know my stuff’s there, I’ve just got to stop making the mistakes and just keep working hard.”
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online Sports
