Bullpen Stands Tall as Brewers Win in Tweleve

Sep 16, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pinch runner Hector Gomez (5) celebrates with shortstop Jean Segura (9) after scoring the game tying run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers opened their most important series of the season on Tuesday with their National League playoff hopes on the line.

The Brewers sent Wily Peralta (16-10, 3.75 ERA) to the mound to take on Lance Lynn (15-9, 2.71 ERA).

It looked like the Brewers offense was snake bitten yet again, trailing 2-1 after seven innings with both starters exiting the game, but they tied it up in the 9^th thanks to Matt Clark and won it in the 12^th thanks to a pair of Gomezes, Carlos and Hector.

Hector Gomez, scored the game tying run in the top of the 9th on a Clark sacrifice fly, and he knocked in Carlos Gomez to give the Brewers the win in the top of the 12th.

The 3-2 win helped Milwaukee keep pace with the Pirates who won earlier in the night, and both the Brewers and Pirates picked up a game on the front running Cardinals.

After the Brewers managed only a two out single in the top of the first, the Cardinals took it to Peralta in the bottom half of the inning. Matt Carpenter, Jon Jay and Matt Holliday hit three straight singles to load the bases with no outs.

Wily followed by walking Matt Adams on six pitches to bring in a free run. Jhonny Peralta grounded into a double play Jean Segura to Scooter Gennett to Matt Clark for the first two outs of the inning, but Jay came in to score on the play and make it 2-0.

The inning ended, mercifully, when Yadier Molina grounded out sharply back to the mound.

Ryan Braun led off the second inning with a single to left. Gerardo Parra and Matt Clark flew out to center for two outs ahead of a Segura single to right to move Braun over to third but he was stranded as Peralta struck out to end the inning.

Kolton Wong singled to lead off the Cardinal second. Peter Bourjos flew out to Gennett in foul territory for the first out of the inning. Lynn struck out on a foul bunt for the second out, to bring up the top of the order. Wong was caught stealing though, and the inning ended.

The Brewers managed only a Gennett single in the top half of the third. They had four hits through the first three innings, but nothing to show for it. Peralta worked his first three-up, three-down inning of the game in the bottom half of the third.

With two outs in the top of the third Parra cut the lead in half with a solo home run (9) to right. Peralta followed with another one-two-three inning, to make it a 2-1 game after four innings.

Carlos Gomez drew a two-out walk in the top of the fifth for the Crew but that was it in the half inning. With one out in the bottom half Bourjos singled to right, but he got greedy and was thrown out at second on a perfect throw from Braun; it was all the Cards managed in the inning.

The Brewers went down in order in the top of the sixth, including some highly questionable strike calls against Braun. Peralta returned the favor in the bottom half, putting down Carpenter, Jay and Holliday.

Lynn set the Brewers down in just four pitches in the top of the seventh. It took more the four pitches, but Peralta shut the Cardinals down again in the bottom half of the seventh.

Both pitchers exited after the seventh with Pat Neshek coming in for the Cardinals and Lyle Overbay pinch hitting for Peralta. Peralta allowed two runs on five hits and one walk. He struck out three. Lynn allowed one run on five hits and one walk; he struck out five.

Overbay popped out to third to lead off the inning. Gomez flew out to center for the second out and Gennett whiffed to end the inning. Will Smith came on to pitch for Milwaukee.

Randal Grichuk (pinch hitting for Wong) led off with a line drive to left, but Parra made a nice running catch on it. Bourjos followed with an infield single. Segura fielded the ball cleanly in the hole between short and third but he double clutched the throw and Bourjos beat it.

Xavier Scruggs came in to pinch hit for Neshek and drew a walk while Smith was trying to hold Bourjos on first. Carpenter lined sharply to left but Parra made a sliding catch on it for the second out. Smith struck out Jay to end the inning.

Closer Trevor Rosenthal came on to pitch the ninth for the Cardinals and walked Lucroy to lead off the inning. Hector Gomez came on to run for Lucroy. Aramis Ramirez followed with a double to put runners on second and third with nobody out.

Elian Herrera came on to run for Ramirez at second base. Braun grounded out back to the mound for the first out of the inning, and the runners couldn’t advance. Parra picked up an intentional walk to bring up Matt Clark.

Clark flew out to left-center and Gomez came in to tie the game at two. Holliday couldn’t get enough on his throw to get Gomez at the plate. Segura grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hector Gomez stayed in the game at third base, and Martin Maldonado took over behind the plate. Jonathan Broxton came in to pitch the ninth and worked a scoreless inning to send it to extra innings.

Carlos Martinez came on to pitch the 10^th for the red birds against pinch-hitter Khris Davis to lead off the inning. Davis flew out for the first out. Carlos Gomez followed with an infield hit on a chopper to the hole at short. Gennett lined out to center for the second out of the inning to bring up Hector Gomez who flew out to Holliday in left to end the inning.

Jeremy Jeffress came on for Milwaukee to try and send the game to the 11^th inning. Molina flew out for the first out and Jeffress set Daniel Descalso down with a whiff. Bourjos ended the inning with a ground out to Gomez at third.

Seth Maness came on to pitch the 11^th for the Cardinals. He struck out Maldonado to lead off the inning. Braun flew out to right for the second out. With two down Parra doubled to the wall in left to put the go-ahead run in scoring position.

After two balls to Clark with Parra on second, the Cardinals decided to intentionally walk him to get to Segura who chopped back to the mound to end the inning.

Jeffress went back to the hill for the bottom of the 11^th. Oscar Taveras came on to pinch hit for Maness. When Taveras was announced Roenicke called for Zach Duke to face him.

Duke struck Taveras out with his death slider. Carpenter followed with a single through the right side for his second hit of the night. Duke got Jay to fly out to Gomez in center for the second out. That was it for Duke; with Holliday coming up Roenicke called in Brandon Kintzler. Holliday grounded out to short to end the inning and send it to the 12^th.

Kevin Siegrist and his 6.21 ERA came in to pitch the 12^th for St. Louis. Rickie Weeks came on to pinch hit for Kintzler. Siegrist struck out Weeks to open the inning. Carlos Gomez drew a walk to put the go-ahead run on base.

Mark Reynolds came in to pinch hit for Gennett with the lefty pitching. Gomez stole second easily to get into scoring position. Reynolds lined hard to left by Holliday managed to run it down for the second out. Carlos stole third base on the first pitch to Hector.

Hector knocked a little flare to shallow right that dropped between the three fielders trying to get to it. Carlos scored on the play to give Milwaukee the 3-2 lead. Maldonado flew out to end the inning. Carlos Gomez’s two stolen bases in the inning with the first time Molina had allowed two stolen bases in a game since May 28.

Francisco Rodriguez came on to pitch the bottom of the 12^th. Matt Adams grounded out to Hector Gomez at second for the first out. Jhonny Peralta followed with a deep fly ball out to Parra at wall in left field. Yadier Molina flew out to end the game.

Brandon Kintzler got the win for Milwaukee and K-Rod picked up the save. The Brewers bullpen went five innings and allowed just one walk and two hits following a great start by Peralta.

The series continues tomorrow at 7:10 when Mike Fiers takes on Adam Wainwright.