Houston, TX – Corey Hart rolled a go-ahead RBI infield single as part of a two-run top of the 10th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers rallied past the Houston Astros, 5-3, in the rubber match of a three-game set.
Fernando Rodriguez (1-8) walked the bases loaded to start the 10th. Hart slapped a slow grounder up the middle for a single, scoring Nyjer Morgan, while Rickie Weeks snuck a base hit through the hole on the right side, plating Ryan Braun for a 5-3 Brewers advantage.
Weeks smacked three hits, including a solo homer, to go with two RBI, while Braun added a pair of hits, an RBI and two runs scored for the Brewers, who have won six of their last nine games.
With runners on second and third with one away in the home 10th, John Axford caught Jose Altuve looking at strike three before fanning Scott Moore to end the game and notch his 15th save of the year.
"We're all confident in each other and our abilities," Astros starting pitcher Jordan Lyles said. "We've been pitching pretty well and we're going to bring the sticks the second half I'm sure."
Manny Parra (1-3) picked up the win following a 1-2-3 ninth.
Zack Greinke, who was ejected after throwing just four pitches for spiking a ball following a close play at first on Saturday, made his second straight start. He surrendered three runs on five hits and two walks in three innings.
"Zack struggled a little bit there in the first inning and that kept him from going deeper in the game," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "He was fatigued after that."
Greinke is scheduled to start Milwaukee's next game following the All-Star break. He would become the first pitcher since 1917 to make three consecutive starts in the same season. Red Faber was the last to accomplish the feat. He started both games of a doubleheader on September 3 and also started on September 4 for the Chicago White Sox.
The Astros struck quickly with three runs in the opening frame, but they were no-hit from the third to ninth innings.
Jordan Schafer led off with a single and scored when Altuve launched a double into the gap in right-center. After Moore grounded out, Altuve crossed the plate on J.D. Martinez's single to center. Following Chris Johnson's base hit two batters later, back-to-back walks to Brian Bogusevic and Chris Snyder brought home Martinez for a 3-0 Astros lead.
The Brewers plated a run in the second, another in the sixth and one more in the eighth to tie the contest.
Weeks cracked an opposite field solo shot in the second, Braun, who doubled to lead off the sixth, scored on Aramis Ramirez's single to center and then provided the game-tying RBI single in the eighth to make it 3-3.
Game Notes
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starter C.J. Wilson is the only other pitcher this season to start back-to-back games...Milwaukee was 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position while Houston finished 1-for-5...Lyles allowed two runs on six hits and a walk in seven innings...Faber went 16-13 with a 1.92 ERA in 1917...Norichika Aoki extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
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