Francisco Rodriguez Gives Away a Fantastic Start by Yovani Gallardo as Brewers Lose

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off a 9-1 thrashing of the Mets for their fourth win in a row the Brewers were back at it Friday night at Miller Park for game two of their four-game series.

The Brewers sent Yovani Gallardo (5-5, 3.79 ERA) to take on Zack Wheeler (5-8, 3.78 ERA) for the Mets.

Gallardo pitched one of his best games of the season, and the offense managed to squeak out a couple runs against Wheeler who was also great, but Francisco Rodriguez gave up three runs before he recorded an out and the Mets picked up a 3-2 win.

Daniel Murphy knocked a line drive single to center with one out in the first for the Mets first base runner, but that was it for the Mets in the inning.

Gomez reached on an infield single to lead off the first. Lucas Duda tried to field the ball but couldn’t reach it and Daniel Murphy got it and fired to Wheeler covering first, but they weren’t in time for the speedy Gomez.

Wheeler hit Rickie Weeks with his next pitch to put two on for Ryan Braun who struck out. Ramirez grounded out to short.

The Mets got Weeks at second but the throw to first for the double play was wide, putting runners on the corners. Khris Davis bounced out to short to end the inning with no damage done.

Both pitchers worked a three-up, three-down innings in the second and the third innings, including Gallardo striking out the side in the third.

Murphy picked up his, and the Mets, second hit of the game with a single to lead off the fourth.  David Wright followed with a single of his own. But that was it for the Mets though as two ground outs and a strike out ended the inning.

Davis was the second Brewer hit by a pitch in the game, with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, but a Lyle Overbay strike out ended the inning.

Gallardo picked up another one-two-three inning in the top of the fifth. Wheeler worked around a Murphy error in the bottom half of the frame that allowed Martin Maldonado to reach for the only Brewers action in the frame.

Gallardo rolled through Granderson, Murphy and Wright in the top of the sixth to make it nine straight Mets retired.

Weeks worked an eight-pitch walk to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Braun grounded weakly to second for what should have been a double play, but Murphy completely missed it through his legs to put Weeks on third, and Braun at first.

Ramirez grounded to softly to short to cap a nine-pitch at bat. The Mets tried to turn two. They got Braun at second but Weeks came in to score and Ramirez was safe at first to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.

After a Davis strike out, Overbay drew a walk to put two on for Jean Segura who grounded out to third to end the inning.

Gallardo made it 12-in-a-row in the top of the seventh, narrowly avoiding a tie game with a deep fly a ball off the bat of Travis d’Arnaud, but Gomez ran it down.

Wheeler set down Maldonado and Gallardo to open the seventh, but Carlos Gomez became the first Brewer to hit a ball out of the infield when he knocked a wall scraping home run (15) to center to make it 2-0.

Weeks followed with a double off the wall in the same spot as the Gomez home run and that was it for Wheeler as Vic Black came on for the Mets. Black got Braun to fly out to the track in right to end the inning.

The final line on Wheeler was 6 2/3 innings pitched, allowing two runs, one earned, on just three hits and two walks. He struck out nine Brewers, including Gallardo three times.

Gallardo made it 14 straight in the eighth by putting down Juan Lagares, and Ruben Tejada  in order, but Eric Campbell reached on an infield single. The ball hit Gallardo’s glove, Weeks fielded it and fired to first.

Campbell was called out at first, but was ruled safe on review and Ron Roenicke called for Will Smith to finish the inning. Smith struck out Curtis Granderson to end the inning.

The final line on Gallardo was 7 2/3 innings pitched, allowing no runs on four hits and no walks. He struck out eight.

Carlos Torres came on to pitch the eighth for the Mets. He gave up a two-out single to Overbay but that was it for Milwaukee.

Closer Francisco Rodriguez came on to work on the save for Milwaukee in the ninth. Muphy led off the inning with a double for his third hit of the game.

Wright followed with a line-drive single to left to bring in Murphy and put the Mets on the board. Lucas Duda followed with a two-run home run to right to put the Mets on top 3-1.

d’Arnaud followed with a single to make it four straight hits for the Mets. K-Rod finally recorded an out with a strike out of Bobby Abreu. Lagares grounded into a fielder’s choice to Ramirez at third.

Ramirez fired to second for the out there, but they couldn’t turn two. Rogriguez struck out Tehada to end the inning.

Jennry Mejia came on to pitch the ninth for the Mets, freshly in the lead. Jonathan Lucroy came on to hit for Martin Maldonado to lead off the inning.

Lucroy drew a lead-off walk to open the inning and Logan Schafer came on to pinch hit for Rodriguez. Roenicke sent Schafer out to bunt Lucroy over to second, which is already a questionable decision, and he ended up striking out, bunting foul, to give away an out for the Crew.

Here are the thoughts on the play from former Reviewing The Brew editor Justin Schultz:

Gomez struck out for the second out of the inning and Weeks followed with a strike out to end the game.

Torres earned the win for the Mets, K-Rod earned the loss for Milwaukee. Thankfully Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Cincinnati all lost so the Brewers didn’t lose any ground in the division.