Wednesday Sports 4/10/19
10 April 2019 Sports
Sports from Wayne Mausser
Yasmani Grandal homered twice, drove in three runs and scored three times on Tuesday as the Brewers powered their way back from a six-run deficit to take a one-run lead. But after that lead got away, and they ended up losing to the Angels, 11-8 loss.
Alex Wilson’s bases loaded walk to Jonathan Lucroy in the seventh inning gave the Angels the lead. Jake Patricka yielded two more runs in the eighth to wipe out Grandal’s big night at the plate, ensuring the Brewers first series defeat this season.
Just getting Wilson into a tight game was something of a feat for Grandal & Co., who trailed 6-0 after a first inning capped by Tommy La Stella’s three-run homer — the first of La Stella’s two home runs off 22-year-old Brewers starter Freddy Peralta. Struggling to keep his fastball at the top of the strike zone where it belonged, Peralta needed 42 pitches for the first inning alone and didn’t make it through the fourth, putting the rest of the game on a bullpen missing its two best right-handers — Corey Knebel and Jeremy Jeffress — because of injuries, and on an offense with a couple of big hitters — Jesus Aguilar and Travis Shaw — struggling to find their swings.
Grandal, however, has emerged from an early-season funk. He began his Brewers career hitless in 12 at-bats but is 12-for-21 with three home runs since. He singled for the first of the Brewers’ four consecutive two-out hits in a three-run second inning that answered the Angels’ six-run first, then hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and teamed with Mike Moustakas on back-to-back home runs in a go-ahead fifth as Milwaukee knocked Matt Harvey out of the game and claimed the lead.
Moustakas, shedding his own hitting funk over the past two days, hit a two-run home run for a 7-7 tie before Grandal smashed a 3-0 pitch to the seats to make it 8-7.
The Brewers’ lead didn’t last. Andrelton Simmons’ high-hop double leading off the bottom of the fifth led to the tying run against Matt Albers, and the Angels pushed ahead in a seventh inning that began with Justin Bour working a walk from Alex Claudio. Simmons greeted Wilson with a single, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, former Brewers catcher Lucroy looked at four straight pitches out of the zone and trotted to first base with the go-ahead RBI.
Alex Claudio took the loss and drops to 0-1. Brewers relievers have a 5.40 ERA after covering 45 of the team’s first 106 innings.
Right-hander Brandon Woodruff, who’s 1-0, closes out the series tonight for the Brewers against the Angels Felix Pena, who’s 0-1. First pitch is at 9:07 pm. The game can be heard on AM1000 and 98.3FM, WiSS.
Jeremy Jeffress pitched another inning for Triple-A San Antonio on Tuesday, allowing three runs and four hits with two strikeouts as he continued to test the strength of a right shoulder that caused trouble in Spring Training. Barring a setback, he is scheduled to pitch again Wednesday to make it back-to-back outings.
The Brewers began the season without each of their two top right-handed relievers. Jeffress was sidelined in Spring Training by shoulder weakness. Corey Knebel suffered an elbow injury later in camp and underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery last week.
The Green Bay Packers have announced the team’s opponents for the 2019 preseason.
For the third year in a row, the Packers will open the preseason at Lambeau Field.
All of the team’s preseason opponents are AFC teams.
Specific dates and times are to be announced.
August 8-12: Houston Texans at Lambeau Field
August 15-19 at Baltimore Ravens
August 22-25 vs. Oakland Raiders (location TBD)
August 29: Kansas City Chiefs at Lambeau Field
The Packers will host the Texans for joint practices in Green Bay. Days and times will be announced at a later date. It is the first time the Packers will play against the Texans in the preseason.
Packers President & CEO Mark Murphy mentioned on March 26 the team could play a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders in Canada. Murphy said discussions continue and that the contest would be a Raiders home game.
In the NBA, the Bucks close out the regular season tonight at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Milwaukee is 60-21 and has clinched the Eastern Conference.
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