Toronto Blue Jays' Joel Carreno pitches to a Milwaukee Brewers batter during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, June 20, 2012, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)
June 20, 2012 - 6:28 PM
MILWAUKEE - Yovani Gallardo pitched into the seventh inning while Ryan Braun hit one of Milwaukee's four homers as the Brewers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 on Wednesday.
The Brewers bounced back from a demoralizing ninth-inning loss Tuesday night to take two-of-three games from the Blue Jays.
Gallardo (6-5) went 6 2-3 innings, giving up three runs and seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Gallardo's outing provided some much-needed rest for Milwaukee's overworked bullpen.
With injuries testing the depth of Toronto's pitching, Milwaukee got to Blue Jays emergency starter Joel Carreno (0-2) early, hitting three home runs in a five-run second.
The second-inning fireworks were provided by Martin Maldonado and Carlos Gomez, who each hit two-run homers, and Corey Hart, who added a solo shot.
Braun extended his hitting streak to 15 games — and 25 games in interleague play — with a double in the third, then hit his 20th homer in the seventh. Braun appeared to hurt his right hand when he was thrown out at home in the third, but stayed in the game.
Edwin Encarnacion hit his 20th home run of the season for the Blue Jays, a solo shot in the second.
Milwaukee then took the lead in the bottom half of the inning, beginning with Hart's solo homer and then the two-run homer by Maldonado. Gallardo followed with a double over the head of centre-fielder Colby Rasmus before Gomez homered to left, giving the Brewers a 5-1 lead.
Aaron Laffey came on in relief in the fourth after Carreno gave up five hits and five runs — all on the three homers — in three innings. With three starters injured, the Blue Jays turned to Carreno, a right-hander making his second career start.
Milwaukee added another run in the sixth when Gomez walked, stole second base and scored on a bloop single by Nyjer Morgan that fell just inside the right-field line.
Gallardo cruised through the first two outs of the seventh, then gave up a single to David Cooper, a walk to Canadian Brett Lawrie and an RBI double to Rasmus to cut Milwaukee's lead to 6-2. Gallardo left the game to warm applause from the crowd and was relieved by Tim Dillard.
Dillard walked Jose Bautista to load the bases and face Encarnacion — and Dillard hit him with a pitch, forcing in a run to cut the lead to 6-3. Dillard then struck out Kelly Johnson to end the inning.
Braun hit a two-run homer in the seventh to extend the Brewers' lead to 8-3.
Mike Fiers pitched a scoreless ninth for Milwaukee.
Notes: Lawrie left the game with right knee soreness. ... Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said 1B Travis Ishikawa, who is recovering from a left oblique strain, and INF Cesar Izturis, who has been out with a strained left hamstring, both are nearing a return. ... Roenicke said right-handed starter Shaun Marcum, who has tightness in his pitching elbow, might have to go on the disabled list to allow the Brewers to bring up another pitcher.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012