Brewers slip past Braves in 13 innings
ATLANTA -- It took a 13-inning marathon, but the Milwaukee Brewers finally are assured of a series victory on the road.
Jonathan Villar singled home the tiebreaking run, and the Brewers edged the Atlanta Braves 3-2 Wednesday night in a game that featured 16 pitchers and took nearly five hours.
Villar's hit came off Casey Kelly, a Braves starter working his fourth inning of relief.
The Brewers loaded the bases in the 13th against Kelly (0-2) on a walk and two hits, the last a bunt by Keon Broxton for his first major league hit.
Aaron Hill scored but Broxton was thrown out at the plate on Villar's hit, the call confirmed after a review.
Carlos Torres worked a perfect bottom of the 13th to earn his first save of the year. Michael Blazek (3-1) pitched a scoreless 12th for the win.
It was the 11th consecutive game decided by two runs or fewer for the Brewers, who won the opener of the three-game series 2-1 Tuesday.
The loss dropped the Braves (13-33) to 2-19 at Turner Field, and they are 0-11 in home games decided by two runs or fewer.
Gordon Beckham hit a two-run homer as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning to put the Braves ahead, but the Brewers (20-26) tied it in the eighth.
Reliever Bud Norris gave up a single to Jonathan Lucroy and a double to Chris Carter before being replaced by left-hander Ian Krol with one out. Krol got Kirk Nieuwenhuis to ground out, but the tying run scored.
Kelly worked five innings in a start at Philadelphia on Sunday, but he was needed in the 10th inning Wednesday after Braves interim manager Brian Snitker burned through his seven-man bullpen.
A.J. Pierzynski singled off reliever Chris Capuano to open the sixth inning. Beckham worked the count against the veteran left-hander to 3-2 before connecting with a slider, the ball carrying over the center field fence on a line for the first pinch-hit homer of his career.
Brewers starter Junior Guerra, who left with a 1-0 lead, allowed four hits, struck out six and walked four over five innings.
Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta's starter, gave up four hits and a run over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked four.
The Brewers scored without a hit in the fifth inning to take the lead.
Broxton, who was 0-for-19 on the season, walked with one out, was sacrificed to second by Guerra and moved to third on a wild pitch before Villar delivered a long sacrifice fly to center field.
It was a bit of redemption for Villar, who was thrown out trying to stretch a leadoff double into a triple in the third inning.
The Braves had plenty of chances to break through against Guerra, but they were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position over the first five innings.
NOTES: Brewers RHP Willy Peralta (2-5, 6.99 ERA) will start the series finale Thursday against the Braves RHP Matt Wisler (2-3, 2.93). Wisler has a 1.80 ERA in his past four starts. ... The Braves claimed LHP Dario Alvarez off waivers from the New York Mets and optioned the reliever to Triple-A Gwinnett. He struck out 27 in 15 1/3 innings for Triple-A Las Vegas but had a 9.98 ERA. ... Brewers RHP Matt Garza (right lat strain) and RHP Corey Knebel (left oblique strain) threw bullpen sessions and will advance to live batting practice Saturday. Both have been on the disabled list since the beginning of the season.