Guerra helps Brewers end four-game losing streak
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Junior Guerra pitched seven strong innings, Scooter Gennett and Kirk Nieuwenhuis homered, and the Milwaukee Brewers ended their four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory against the Oakland A's on Wednesday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum.
Guerra (4-1), a 31-year old rookie from Venezuela, gave up two runs on five hits in his 10th career major-league start. He struck out eight and walked one. Guerra went 0-1 with four no-decisions over his previous five starts before beating the A's.
Gennett went 3-for-5 with a two-run shot in the fifth inning, and Nieuwenhuis had a solo home run in the eighth. Martin Maldonado had three hits and Ramon Flores two, including a double, for the Brewers.
A's rookie-right hander Daniel Mengden (0-3) gave up three runs on seven hits over six innings in his third career major-league start. Mengden struck out nine and walked one. Through three games and 18 innings, he has allowed only six earned runs.
Coco Crisp went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a double for the A's.
The Brewers went 2-7 on their road trip and won three of four games against the A's in their interleague season series, including a two-game sweep at Miller Park earlier this month.
The A's, who went 3-6 on their nine-game home stand, scored only 12 runs over their past six games.
Crisp gave the A's a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, leading off with a home run into the right-field seats off Guerra. The blast was Crisp's fifth of the season.
Milwaukee answered with three runs in the fifth off Mengden. With one out, Flores hit an opposite-field double off the left-field fence, then took third on Crisp's throwing error. Yadiel Rivera brought Flores home with a bunt that Mengden got to quickly but couldn't field cleanly.
Then with two outs, Gennett launched an opposite-field, two-run homer to left-center field. Mengden fell behind 2-0 in the count, and Gennett golfed his 88 mph fastball over the 362-foot mark for his seventh home run of the season.
Oakland cut the Brewers' lead to 3-2 with a run in the seventh. Yonder Alonso singled, moved to second on a ground out and scored on Max Muncy's sharp single to right.
Nieuwenhuis homered off reliever Liam Hendriks with two outs in the eighth, hitting an opposite-field shot to left-center.
Brewers right-hander Tyler Thornburg got the final four outs for his second save of the season.
NOTES: Athletics LHP Rich Hill (left groin strain) will make a rehab start for Class A Stockton on Monday. He threw a bullpen session Tuesday and will throw another one Friday. A's manager Bob Melvin said that, barring a setback, Hill will likely need one rehab start before rejoining the rotation. "I'd like to throw him right in there, but we've got to make sure we get him in a game scenario against another team," Melvin said. ... Oakland SS Marcus Semien started his 71st straight game this season on Wednesday. He is the only Oakland player to appear in every game this year. ... Brewers SS Jonathan Villar was out of the starting lineup for just the fourth time this season. "Just a physical break and a mental break," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Just recharge the battery. Simple as that." Yadiel Rivera started in Villar's place. ... Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy started his third straight game at designated hitter as Counsell continued giving him a chance to rest his legs. Including off days Monday and Thursday, Lucroy will have gone five straight days without catching before the Brewers open a homestand Friday against Washington.