Chen, Bour carry Marlins past Brewers
MIAMI -- Wei-Yin Chen tied a career high with 12 strikeouts and Justin Bour slugged a two-run homer to lead the Miami Marlins to a 3-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night at Marlins Park.
It was Bour's fifth homer of the season, and it helped the Marlins (18-15) take two out of three games in their series against the Brewers (14-20). Miami has won 13 of its past 17 games.
Milwaukee has yet to win a road series this season (0-4-2).
Two players extended their hitting streaks to 11 games -- Miami's Marcell Ozuna (1-for-3) and Milwaukee's Ryan Braun (3-for-4). They are tied for the longest active hit streaks in the majors.
However, Milwaukee's Aaron Hill, who went 0-for-4, had his 10-game hit streak halted.
Chen (3-1), who previously struck out 12 batters in 2012 against the Oakland A's, went 6 1/3 innings, allowing six hits, two walks and two runs. He received relief help from A.J. Ramos, who pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his 11th save of the season.
Milwaukee starter Chase Anderson (1-5) took the loss, allowing three hits, one walk and three runs in six innings.
Anderson retired the first 10 Marlins before Martin Prado singled with one out in the fourth. Miami then broke through in the fifth on the two-run homer by Bour, who pulled an 80 mph changeup to right.
Miami made it 3-0 later in the fifth inning. Ozuna hit a ground-ball double on a ball that got stuck underneath the fence in the right field corner. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Adeiny Hechavarria's sacrifice fly.
Milwaukee scored twice in the seventh and just missed out on an even bigger inning. Alex Presley hit a single, and pinch-hitter Colin Walsh walked, knocking Chen out of the game.
After reliever Bryan Morris walked Domingo Santana to load the bases, Jonathan Villar got an RBI groundout. Second baseman Derek Dietrich prevented more damage by making a slick backhanded grab and flip.
Braun made the score 3-2 with an RBI single to center, but the inning ended when Villar was thrown out by Ozuna after trying to go from first to third with two outs.
NOTES: Miami designated LHP Craig Breslow for assignment and selected the contract of RHP Dustin McGowan from Triple-A New Orleans. Breslow's departure leaves Miami without a lefty in its bullpen. McGowan was 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in six appearances for the Marlins earlier this season. In 7 1/3 scoreless innings at New Orleans, he was 2-for-2 in save chances, striking out seven and allowing six walks and just one hit. ... OF Austin Dean, one of Miami's top prospects, had two homers and five RBIs on Tuesday for Double-A Jacksonville. ... Brewers RF Domingo Santana (shoulder soreness) made his first start since May 3. ... Brewers 2B Scooter Gennett (oblique tightness), who has been on the disabled list since April 28, began a rehab assignment at Class A Brevard County on Tuesday. He is expected to join the Brewers on Thursday when they open a seven-game homestand with a series against the San Diego Padres.