Pinch hitter Overbay plays hero, Brewers win third straight

MILWAUKEE -- It started with a giddy chorus of "Luuuuuc" and ended with a jubilant refrain of "Ohhhhh."

And after the crowd's celebratory chants were over and the players were finished mobbing Lyle Overbay at first base and the 'U' and 'O' sounds that had echoed around Miller Park in the ninth inning had moved into the parking lot, the Milwaukee Brewers had earned another letter -- the one that really mattered.

"It adds one more 'W' in the win column," said starting pitcher Kyle Lohse.

The Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Saturday night in dramatic, walk-off fashion. The atmosphere in the stadium and in the victorious locker room after the game reflected the good vibes being felt about a team that has now followed its worst stretch of the season -- 16 losses in 19 games -- with three straight wins. And this one really felt like a win.

Manager Ron Roenicke said afterward that it was "really nice" to be able to fully enjoy a victory, especially after the previous night's triumph was marred by an ugly fifth inning when the benches cleared after Brewers starter Mike Fiers hit two Miami Marlins players in a row, sending one to the hospital.

Roenicke said Saturday it felt especially good to win a game with a late, clutch hit.

"We've been talking about that -- we needed a walk-off win to just get the excitement back and to know that we can go late in games and win them," Roenicke said.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, catcher Jonathan Lucroy led off and ripped a double off the left-center-field wall, earning him his usual "Luuuuuc" cheer from the home crowd. Then, after third baseman Aramis Ramirez grounded out to advance Lucroy to third, Brewers star Ryan Braun came to bat.

The Reds opted to intentionally walk Braun and also the next batter, light-hitting Gerardo Parra, which loaded the bases for Overbay, who approached the plate with fans on their feet, holding their hands over their heads in an 'O' shape and yelling "Ohhhhh." It's a tribute that Overbay said began in Milwaukee, when he was a Brewer from 2004-2005, and has continued in his second, albeit less involved, tour.

"It started here and it's always been here," Overbay said of the fans' salute. "That was one of the coolest things. It's been a while since I actually looked up and saw it."

Overbay said after the game he wasn't insulted the Reds willingly walked Braun and Parra to get to him because he knew it was a baseball decision to create a force at home. But, even though he understood the situation, he said, "You use it a little bit as motivation."

Overbay then proceeded to lace the first pitch he saw from Cincinnati's Jumbo Diaz into left field, scoring Lucroy pinch-runner Logan Schafer for the game-winning run.

The 13-year veteran was immediately swarmed by his teammates at first base as the fans intensified their ad-'O'-ration.

"That felt great," Overbay said. "It's one of those things where you earn it, so you really enjoy it. Those are the fun times."

After entering the game in the seventh as a pinch-hitter and striking out, Overbay took over at first base for the final two innings, moving Lucroy to catcher in place of Martin Maldonado. Overbay has been a pinch-hitting prodigy this season, batting .370 off the bench. His plate appearance in the ninth inning wasn't technically a pinch-hit opportunity, but it showed the same poise he's displayed in that role all year.

"He's a really patient hitter, which is really important to us," Roenicke said. "He goes up in situations where some guys just may be chasing balls out of the zone; he doesn't do that very often. Whether it's off the bench or, like today he goes into a ball game, he's a guy you count on to give you that good at bat.

"Some big hits for him. It's not that easy to do (coming off the bench), when you're not getting a lot of at-bats, and he keeps doing it. Being a veteran, the years he's played, that certainly helps."

On offense, the Brewers struggled for much of the game to produce. They only had three hits going into the ninth inning, before Lucroy and Overbay added to the final total. Lucroy and Braun finished with two hits apiece, and Overbay added the only other one. But, Overbay said, the team made contact when it mattered.

"This (win) will kind of lift us up a little bit, because we did everything right -- pitching was great and we got timely hitting," Overbay said. "That's the key to our success."

On the mound, Lohse recovered from a pair of poor starts in his previous two outings with a quality performance. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and two walks, while striking out six. Reds third baseman Kris Negron hit a solo home run off Lohse in the first inning, and the starter was chased in the seventh after he "lost a little command" and made "a couple bad pitches."

But it was an encouraging game for Lohse and his teammates, a result they hope will lead them back into the thick of the playoff race.

"It feels good, feels like we're playing a lot better right now, and that's the way it needs to be," Lohse said. "It's just a good feeling to finally have one of those games where the grind paid off in the end."

Fiers fined by MLB: Mike Fiers was fined an undisclosed amount Friday by Major League Baseball for his actions on the mound the night before, which resulted in the benches clearing during his start against the Miami Marlins.

In an ugly and chaotic fifth inning Thursday, Fiers hit Giancarlo Stanton in the face with a pitch that sent the Marlins slugger off the field on a stretcher and to a local hospital. Fiers then hit Stanton's replacement, Reed Johnson, with another up-and-in pitch, inflaming Marlins players and coaches.

Fiers threw his arms up and gestured toward Miami's dugout, which he later said he did to convey that he had not intended to hit Johnson. However, the Marlins came pouring out of the dugout, causing the Brewers, too, to rush the field. After a few heated minutes of yelling, order was restored, umpires ruled that Johnson had swung at the pitch and struck out, and the inning was ended.

After the game, Fiers was visibly upset, apologizing via the media and later sending sympathetic tweets to Stanton's Twitter account. The Marlins announced that Stanton had suffered multiple facial fractures, dental damage and a facial laceration that required stitches. The MVP candidate's season is likely over.

In its press release, MLB said, Fiers "received an undisclosed fine for his actions, which contributed to the benches clearing."