MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers came into the season with playoff expectations. Right now, they'd settle for a win.
Takashi Saito gave up the lead in the eighth inning on home runs by Martin Prado and Dan Uggla, and the Brewers lost their home opener 2-1 to the Atlanta Braves on Monday.
Milwaukee remains winless after getting swept in three games at Cincinnati to start the season. New manager Ron Roenicke says the best way to deal with the rough start is to ignore it and move on.
"It's definitely the message," Roenicke said. "You know, you go through streaks in a season where you lose some games in a row. We happened to do it at the start, which is tougher, but we're obviously going to win a game. Hopefully it's tomorrow. I think as long as the guys stay positive, I still feel like every day we go out there we're going to win."
Rickie Weeks continued his impressive start with his third homer leading off the third, but that and a solid start by Chris Narveson were about the only bright spots for Milwaukee.
"It's not frustrating at all," Weeks said. "We've got 150-some games left. I hate to say that, but it is what it is."
The Brewers aren't overreacting to their rough start, but they'd certainly like to see it end.
Asked for his thoughts on the loss, Casey McGehee paused, then chuckled.
"What do you want me to say?" he said.
McGehee acknowledged that the Brewers need to play better, but they also could use some good luck. The go-ahead drive by Uggla bounced on the top of the wall, then over.
"We had a ball hit the top of the wall and bounce away from us," McGehee said.
Before the homers by Prado and Uggla, the Braves failed to muster much offensive support for starter Brandon Beachy, who gave up four hits, including Weeks' homer, in six innings while striking out seven.
Peter Moylan (1-0) got three outs to get the victory, and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.
Prado tied it with his leadoff drive in the eighth. Saito (0-1) struck out Nate McLouth and got Chipper Jones to ground out before Uggla hit a deep fly ball to left-center that hit off the top of the wall and bounced over.
Ryan Braun had a one-out single in the eighth, but Prince Fielder hit into a double play to end the inning.
Milwaukee squandered a strong outing by Narveson, who struck out five in six innings. The left-hander allowed only three singles and three walks — and he picked off one of those baserunners, McLouth, in the first.
Beachy, who made three starts last season, won a spot in the Braves' rotation with a strong performance in spring training. He got into trouble in the first, but McGehee flied out with runners on first and second to end the inning.
Weeks put the Brewers in front in the third, hitting a 2-1 pitch deep to left.
Brewers shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt doubled in the second for his first hit of the season, then added a single in the fourth. Betancourt was acquired in Milwaukee's offseason trade with Kansas City for Zack Greinke and started the season 0 for 11.
Milwaukee couldn't take advantage of a scoring chance in the fourth, putting runners on second and third with one out. Back-to-back strikeouts by Wil Nieves and Narveson ended the inning.
Beachy got better as the game went on, retiring nine straight batters after his shaky start to the fourth.
NOTES: Greinke is expected to throw from the mound later this week as he continues to recover from a cracked rib. Greinke, Milwaukee's biggest offseason acquisition, was injured playing basketball. ... Several players from the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers threw out the first pitch at Miller Park. ... Monday's attendance was 46,017, the Brewers' second-largest crowd in Miller Park history.
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