Brewers yield 4 homers in 7-5 loss to Marlins
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee's starting pitchers have given the Brewers little chance of winning games.
It was Chase Anderson's turn Saturday night to put his team in a deep hole.
Adeiny Hechavarria had four hits, including one of four Miami solo home runs, to help the Marlins beat the Brewers 7-5.
Anderson (1-3) had his third consecutive subpar outing, allowing six runs in just 4 1/3 innings. He didn't give up an earned run in his first two starts, but has allowed 15 in his last three and his ERA climbed to 5.55.
"You throw a couple of pitches up and those guys will hit them out," Anderson said. "They're swinging the bats really well right now. I'd say (I'm in) a little bit of a rut and as a starting staff, we're struggling a little bit right now. But we're trying to get back on the right track."
Milwaukee's starters are 5-15 with a 6.32 ERA, and have given up 14 earned runs while pitching just 13 innings in their last three games.
Manager Craig Counsell said the team didn't have many options.
"We have to stay the course, there isn't an unlimited supply of starting pitchers out there," he said. "These are our guys. They need to pitch better. They will pitch better."
The Brewers have lost four consecutive games and seven of eight. Milwaukee fell behind 7-1 before scoring four runs in the seventh, capped by a two-run home run by Hernan Perez, his first.
"Digging ourselves a hole and coming back from five, six, seven (runs) down is certainly not a recipe for success," Counsell said.
Giancarlo Stanton, Derek Dietrich and Marcell Ozuna also homered as Miami won its seventh consecutive game. It is the longest winning streak for Miami since it won seven consecutive games May 1-7, 2012. The Marlins are 12-11, the first time they have been over .500 since being 64-63 on Aug. 22, 2014.
Wei-Yin Chen (2-1) allowed three runs with two walks and four strikeouts one night after the team took a combined no-hitter into the ninth inning.
David Phelps pitched the ninth for his first save of the season.
The Marlins had 14 hits and walked nine times, scoring in each of the first six innings. They could have done more damage if they had any clutch hitting but went 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 17 men on base.
Dietrich, starting for the second consecutive game at second base after Dee Gordon was suspended 80 games for using performance enhancing substances, hit the first pitch of the game into the stands for his second home run of the season.
Milwaukee tied it, 1-1, in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI groundout by Ryan Braun.
Hechavarria opened the second with his second home run, giving Miami the lead for good, 2-1. He also had three singles and went 4-for-5 to snap a 3-for-29 slump.
Stanton hit his eighth homer of the year in the fourth and Ozuna connected for his third home run off reliever Chris Capuano to make it 7-1 in the sixth inning. Chen exited with a six-run lead and two runners on base. Ramon Flores hit a two run bloop single off reliever Craig Breslow to make it 7-3 in the seventh.
FINALLY A TRIPLE
Jonathan Lucroy tripled in the eighth inning, the team's first triple of the season. The team had gone 22 games without a triple, matching a franchise record set in 1970.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: Stanton returned to the lineup after being given a day off on Friday.
Brewers: Counsell said LHP Will Smith (15-day DL) continues to improve from his left knee injury. "In the next 10 days, I'd say his activity is going to be significantly ramped up," Counsell said. "And right now, the response has been positive."
UP NEXT
Right-hander Tom Koehler (2-2) will pitch for the Marlins as they go for a three-game sweep against Milwaukee's Wily Peralta (1-3).
