Aguilar powers Brewers past Marlins with walk-off home run
MILWAUKEE -- Jesus Aguilar certainly has made the most of his opportunities this season.
A late-inning replacement, Aguilar homered on the 13th pitch leading off the bottom of the ninth inning as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied past the Miami Marlins 6-5 on Saturday night for their fifth consecutive win.
"He has become a force in the National League off the bench," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "I don't know around the league of guys who are more dangerous. I've never seen anything better than that, for sure."
Aguilar, who is hitting .419 (13 for 31, got his first home run of the season off Junichi Tazawa (0-1) after falling behind 0-2 in the at-bat. Eleven pitches later, he belted an opposite-field home run to set off a wild celebration.
"I feel like a superstar," Aguilar said. "I know he throws a lot off speed so I was trying to stay back on it. I was just trying to battle and find a pitch I could drive."
https://youtu.be/JsgQpKaNFRo
Milwaukee tied the score in the eighth when Miami left fielder Derek Dietrich appeared to misjudge Eric Sogard's two-out popup to left, allowing Travis Shaw to score from second. Eric Thames was thrown out at the plate attempting to score the go-ahead run from first. Originally ruled an error, Sogard later was credited with a double and a run batted in.
Jeremy Jeffress (2-0) pitched a scoreless inning of relief to get the win.
The Marlins, who have lost six of seven, jumped out to 1-0 lead on Dietrich's homer off Brent Suter in the first inning. Lewis Brinson's three-run shot in the second extended Miami's lead to 4-0.
Shaw's leadoff home run in the bottom of the second off Jose Urena got the Brewers on the scoreboard. Shaw has reached first base 11 times (six walks, four hits, including two home runs, and hit by pitch) in the first three games against the Marlins.
Milwaukee scored twice in the fourth on Thames' run-scoring single and an RBI groundout by Sogard.
https://youtu.be/lkCgRylrprI
Miami extended the lead to 5-3 in fifth when Brian Anderson's base hit drove in Starlin Castro, who singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
The Brewers again pulled within a run in their half of the fifth on Ryan Braun's sacrifice fly.
Suter gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out four.
Urena, who made his first road start of the season, gave up four runs and four hits in five innings. He walked two batters and struck out three.
"Obviously, that's a tough loss but we've got to keep going and not put our heads down because that's when it's going to snowball and the next thing you know we are deeper in the hole," Brinson said.
SLICK FIELDING
Starlin Castro led off the third with a single and attempted to advance to second when the throw from the outfield skipped past Brewers'second baseman Jonathan Villar. First baseman Eric Thames, backing up the play, fielded the throw and flipped the ball back with his glove to Villar, who tagged out Castro.
CONCERN FOR FARQUHAR
Reports that Chicago White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar suffered a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm while in the dugout during a game Friday night stunned Counsell and Mattingly. "I have never seen anything like it," Mattingly said. Farquhar was in stable but critical condition on Saturday night.
"A serious, serious medical situation for sure," Counsell said. "You hear the word aneurysm and that is really scary."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: INF Martin Prado (left hamstring strain) had a double and an RBI in three at-bats on Saturday night in a rehab assignment for Class-A Jupiter. ... RHP Dan Straily (right forearm strain) is expected to pitch Tuesday for Double-A Jacksonville. "We would love to have him back right away to bring some of that veteran (presence) into that rotation but we want him to be ready and feel like he is ready to compete," Mattingly said.
Brewers: SS Orlando Arcia sat out after twisting his ankle attempting to get back to first base after singling in the eighth inning of Friday night's game. "He just kind of jammed his ankle and had a little swelling," Counsell said. "I don't think we are completely out of the woods with it, but we will give him at least today (off)."
UP NEXT
Marlins LHP Caleb Smith (0-2, 6.89 ERA) makes his fifth start of the season in the series finale on Sunday against Brewers RHP Junior Guerra (1-0, 0.82).