Brewers Defeat Twins 10-5; Lohse Misses Out on Rare Feat

The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Minnesota Twins 10-5 as former Brewers legend Paul Molitor faced his former team for the first time as a Manager.

Jean Segura got the scoring started on just the third pitch of the game. With a 1-1 count, Segura lined his third home run of the season into the left field bleachers, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead. The Brewers half of the second inning began the same way. With a 1-1 count, Jonathan Lucroy launched his first home run of the season into the bullpen in left center field, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead.

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The Brewers would add more runs in the third. After the first two batters were retired, Gerardo Parra and Carlos Gomez both singled. Designated Hitter Adam Lind crushed his ninth homer of the season into right field (also on a 1-1 count), giving the Brewers a 5-0 lead.

It seemed that Brewers starter Kyle Lohse had exactly what he needed to accomplish something that only 13 other MLB pitchers have ever done; defeat all 30 franchises (all 13 are listed at the end of the article). After losing his first start against the Twins in 2013, Lohse surrendered the lead and the chance to add his name to the list in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Brian Dozier and Torii Hunter both hit RBI singles, cutting the lead to 3. Joe Mauer then came up with two outs, and Lohse got ahead of him 0-2 before making a mistake inside. Mauer crushed the pitch into the right field bleachers, his second homer of the season, tying the game at 5.

Lohse and Twins starter Kyle Gibson both received no-decisions in the contest. Lohse went 6 innings, surrendering 5 earned runs on 8 hits, and struck out 4. His ERA went up to 6.59 for the season. Gibson completed 7 innings, surrendering 5 earned runs on 6 hits, while recording a season high 9 strikeouts.

The Brewers grabbed the lead back in the eighth. After the first two batters were retired, Gomez lined a double high off the right center field wall, then the Twins defense got sloppy. Lind lined a deep drive to right field and Hunter, moving to his right, leaped in the air, only to have the ball sail over his glove. Lucroy followed and popped up a high fly ball on the infield. With the pitcher, catcher, and first baseman all looking at each other, the ball fell on the infield, and Lind slid into home safely, putting the Brewers ahead 7-5. Lucroy was awarded an RBI single on the play.

Milwaukee would increase their lead in the ninth. After loading the bases with one out, Parra was hit by a pitch, scoring Shane Peterson. Gomez struck out for the second out of the inning, and Lind followed with an 2-RBI single to right center, his 5th and 6th RBI’s of the game; increasing the lead to its final mark of 10-5.

Jeremy Jeffress recorded the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. He pitched the 7th and 8th innings, scattering two hits and a walk, while striking out 2. Blaine Boyer received the loss, dropping to 1-2 on the season.

Game 2 of the series will begin tomorrow at 1:10 pm with Matt Garza (3-7, 5.52 ERA) squaring off against J.R. Graham (0-0, 3.10 ERA), who will be making his first MLB start.

The other 13 pitchers are: