Blue Jays Pound Brewers to Snap Milwaukee’s Five-Game Winning Streak

Aug 20, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista (19) hits a 3-run home run in the sixth inning as Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (20) watches at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers came into Wednesday’s game with the Toronto Blue Jays riding a five-game winning streak, their second longest of the season.

The finale of the season series featured Jimmy Nelson (2-3, 3.86 ERA) taking on yet another Cy Young Award winner in R.A. Dickey (9-12, 3.95 ERA). Nelson’s two previous starts were against Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke.

The Brewers didn’t have it today, as Nelson allowed four runs and the bullpen allowed another five to watch the Blue Jays snap the Brewers winning streak and roll to a 9-5 victory.

Jose Reyes led off the game with a clean single to right. He advanced after two outs on a pitch in the dirt to get into scoring position but that was it for the Jays the inning.

Ryan Braun lined a two-out single up the middle in the Brewers half of the first inning, but that was it for the Crew.

Josh Thole knocked a two-out single to left in the top of the second and Munenori Kawasaki walked to put two on for Dickey who struck out to end the inning.

Gerardo Parra led off the second with a double for the Crew. Three batters later Jean Segura doubled on a fly ball over first base. Parra scored on the play and Segura took third when Jose Bautista threw wild to second. Nelson struck out to end the inning with Milwaukee up 1-0.

Bautista launched a double off the wall with two outs in the top of the third but that was it for the Jays as Nelson retired the side on 10 pitches. Dickey put Milwaukee down in order in the bottom half of the inning.

Colby Rasmus drew a walk to lead off the fourth for the Jays and Danny Valencia followed with a single to put two on for Thole. Thole grounded to Segura for a six-four-three double play, moving Rasmus to third, but Kawasaki flew out to center to end the inning.

After an Aramis Ramirez strike out to lead off the bottom half of the fourth, Parra knocked a triple to the gap in right-center. The throw went wide of third but Dickey knocked it down to prevent Parra from scoring.

Two batters later Mark Reynolds launched a double off the wall in left. Melky Cabrera made a leap on it but he couldn’t hang on to the ball and Parra scored. It should have been caught by Cabrera.

Dickey intentionally walked Segura to get to Nelson who grounded out to second to end the inning with Milwaukee holding a 2-0 lead.

Reyes slapped a one-out double down the line in right in the top of the fifth. Cabrera followed with a ground-rule double down the line in left to bring in Reyes and cut the lead in half.

Nelson struck out Bautista for the second out of the inning. Edwin Encarnacion singled to center to bring in Cabrera and tie the game at two. Rasmus ended the inning with a fly out.

Dickey plunked Gomez to open the Brewers half of the fifth inning. Lucroy followed with a single to right, moving Gomez over to third. Braun followed with a routine grounder to third and Valencia threw it into right field, missing second base badly.

Gomez came in to score on Braun’s grounder, and Milwaukee still had two men on with nobody out. Ramirez grounded into a double play to third, moving Lucroy to third. Dickey hit Parra to put men on the corners for Gennett who flew out to center to end the inning.

Nelson went back to the mound for the sixth inning against the bottom of the Jays order. He got Valencia to fly out before a Thole ground-rule double to put another Jay in scoring position.

Kawasaki doubled to left-center to bring in Thole and tie the game at three. Nelson struck out Dickey for the second out of the inning, but it was his last batter as Ron Roenicke called for Zach Duke to face Reyes.

Reyes singled to right to bring in Kawasaki and give Toronto the 4-3 lead. There was a play at the plate but Kawasaki was safe. Cabrera followed with a single up the middle to put two on with two down.

That was it for Duke, and Roenicke called for Brandon Kintzler. With Bautista batting both batters stole a base but it didn’t matter as Bautista knocked Kintzler’s next pitch out of the park to give Toronto a 7-3 lead. Encarnacion flew out to end the inning.

Nelson allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out four.  Duke didn’t retire a batter and gave up two runs on two hits. Kintzler faced two batters in the inning, and gave up a home run and recorded an out.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth Segura reached on a drag bunt down the third base line. Dickey made a nice play on it but Segura beat the throw. After a pinch-hit fly out by Overbay, Gomez launched a home run (21) to left field to bring the Brewers within two.

That was it for Dickey, as John Gibbons called for Aaron Sanchez to face Lucroy. He got Lucroy to ground back to the mound to end the inning. Dickey went 5 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits and one walk. He struck out four.

Tom Gorzelanny came on to pitch the seventh for the Crew and put down Rasmus, Valencia and Thole in order to end the inning.

Sanchez returned to the mound for the seventh for the Jays. After striking out Braun, Sanchez walked Ramirez on four straight. Parra grounded out for the second out before Gennett singled on a slow roller to second, moving Ramirez to third. But Reynolds flew out to deep left-center to end the inning.

Gorzelanny stayed on the hill for the eighth inning after a perfect seventh. Steve Tolleson came on to pinch it for Kawasaki for the Blue Jays, after Tolleson was announced Roenicke called for Jeremy Jeffress.

Tolleson grounded out and Dioner Navarro came on to pinch hit for the pitcher, Sanchez. Navarro drew a walk on a seven-pitch at bat. Reyes followed with a double-play ground out to second.

Brett Cecil came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Blue Jays. Segura led off with a walk and Khris Davis came on to pinch hit for Jeffress. Davis reached on a fielder’s choice ground out, erasing Segura at second.

Gomez followed with a single to put two on, and end Cecil’s day. Dustin McGowan came on to pitch to Lucroy who grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Will Smith came on to toss the ninth for the Brewers. He got Cabrera and Bautista quickly but an Encarnacion single and Rasmus home run (16) extended the lead to four runs. Braun made a sliding attempt on Encarnacion’s single, but he couldn’t come up with the catch.

Valencia singled to extend the inning as Smith continued to struggle. Nolan Reimold came on to pinch hit for McGowan and struck out to end the inning.

Casey Janssen, the Blue Jays closer, came on to pitch the ninth with a four-run lead. He struck out Braun and Ramirez, both looking, for the first two outs of the inning. Parra grounded out to end the game.

Nelson took the loss for Milwaukee; Dickey got the win for the Jays. Milwaukee has an off day on Thursday before a three-game weekend series with the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates.