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Marlins pull close but can't finish off sweep of Brewers
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Miami Marlins hoped for a win from starter Tom Koehler, but didn't get it.
Ryan Braun became the Brewers' career home run leader with his 252nd home run and Khris Davis hit two home runs to help Milwaukee avoid a sweep with an 8-7 victory over the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.
Braun hit a 2-1 pitch from former Brewers starter Chris Narveson to lead off the sixth. Braun broke the tie with Hall of Famer Robin Yount with a blast off the railing of the second deck in right.
"Not a very typical (Tom) Koehler performance," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said of his starting pitcher. "They hit good pitches and bad pitches. We just couldn't keep the ball in the ball park. Stake him to a 4-0 lead and felt good about it. He got some balls up obviously that they certainly hit well. They made him pay for his mistakes."
Miami led 5-0 heading into the bottom of the third.
Justin Bour drove in three runs for the Marlins. He hit a two-run homer in the first. Miguel Rojas had a run-scoring single in the second and Cole Gillespie knocked in a run with a double in third. Bour ground into a fielder's choice that scored Martin Prado for a 6-5 lead in the fifth as the Marlins fought back.
"Very pleased with the offense," Jennings said. "The quality of the at bats speak for themselves. Usually you score seven runs, you feel pretty good about coming out on top. We just couldn't keep the ball in the ball park today."
Koehler lost his season-worst fifth straight game. He's allowed 23 runs over that stretch.
Gillespie, who has a bit of a connection to Braun, had a good game for the Marlins. The Brewers selected Gillespie in the third round of the First-Year Player Draft in 2006.
"It's pretty cool, obviously," Gillespie said. "I got drafted by the Brewers. I knew him a little bit coming up. If he stays healthy, I'm sure he's going to hit quite a few more in this park especially."
Gillespie drove in the Marlins' fifth run with a two-out double in the third, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. He also had an infield hit in the fifth.
Braun quickly acknowledged Yount's place in Brewers lore.
"I said the other day, Robin is the best player in franchise history," Braun said. "Played here for twenty years, accomplished so many incredible things. So, anytime you are mentioned alongside his name it is definitely special."
Braun said that he talked with Yount all the time, but never about any of his offensive numbers.
"It is more of picking his brain, continuing to learn from him," Braun said.
He put that knowledge to good use.
Davis teed off on the first pitch from Koehler (8-11) in the second for a two-run homer and then did it again in the third to tie the game at 5-5 with a three-run homer. It was his fourth multi-homer game this season and fifth of his career.
Martin Maldonado put Milwaukee 7-6 ahead with a two-run single off Koehler. One batter later, Narveson relieved with the bases loaded, one out and stranded the three runners.
Wily Peralta (4-7) picked up the win despite surrendering six runs on eight hits over five shaky innings. He walked three and struck out two as the Brewers denied the Marlins their first sweep since May 6-8, 2008 and first at Miller Park since Sept. 1-3, 2006.
The Brewers bullpen preserved the victory with three scoreless innings of relief capped by Francisco Rodriguez's 30th save.
LET'S REVIEW TWO
The Marlins challenged after J.T. Realmuto was ruled out at first in the fifth inning. After a review of 1:09, the call was overturned and Realmuto was ruled safe. ... Their second challenge came after Dee Gordon was called out attempting to steal second in the sixth. A review of 3:29 overturned the call and Gordon was ruled safe. ... Marlins are 17-8 in challenges this season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: OF Ichiro Suzuki almost had the game off. Tuesday night, he became the oldest player (41 years, 301 days) in club history with four hits, going 4 for 5 with two runs scored for his first four-hit game since July 28, 2013. He was 0 for 5 on Monday. He entered Wednesday's game in the seventh, taking right field in a double switch.
Brewers: Manager Craig Counsell is going to a four-man rotation at least until a three-game series at Cincinnati the first week of September. "We will need a fifth starter there," Counsell said. "With the amount of off days we have, guys are still going to have an extra day of rest during this stretch." While the club has three of the next eight days off, another factor in the reduction from five starters was another poor performance by rookie right-hander Tyler Cravy. Winless in five career starts, he pitched himself out of the rotation after Tuesday night's 9-6 loss. He lasted only 2 2-3 innings, giving up seven runs -- four earned -- on seven hits and three walks.
UP NEXT
Marlins: LHP Brad Hand (2-3, 4.74 ERA) opens the three-game home series with the Philadelphia Phillies. He is 1-2 with a 3.44 ERA in nine career games, including five starts, against the Phillies.
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (9-9, 3.61 ERA) starts Friday in the opener of a three-game road series with the Washington Nationals. His first career start against them was a five-inning, 10-hit 7-2 loss on June 13 at Miller Park.
