Kyle Lohse certainly knows how to go out with a bang.
For the second consecutive year, Lohse tossed a two-hit shutout in his final start of the season. The veteran right-hander allowed just two baserunners Wednesday night to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.
"It is weird," Lohse said. "The last two seasons, I've had last start (complete-game) shutouts. I need to trick myself into thinking it is the last start every time or something. But if that was the last one, that's a good way to go out."
Barring a miracle, Wednesday was Lohse's last time on the mound in 2014. In order to force a one-game playoff for the second wild card, the Brewers must win their remaining four games, while the San Francisco Giants would have to lose out. The Giants aided the Brewers on Wednesday, dropping a 9-1 decision to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The only blemishes on Lohse's line came from Reds first baseman Jack Hannahan, who singled in the third and the fifth. Lohse, who was aided by some terrific defense, didn't issue a walk and struck out six, needing 106 pitches to go the distance.
"That was really good," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "He really commanded the ball well. His curveball was great. His changeup was really good. Everything was working. He stayed in his rhythm all game."
Rickie Weeks put Milwaukee up 1-0 with a two-out RBI single off the wall in the fourth, while a Carlos Gomez RBI double made it 2-0 in the fifth.
The Brewers entered Wednesday having scored two runs or fewer in their last six games and appeared stuck on that number yet again after leaving the bases loaded in the fifth and seventh.
But Jean Segura delivered the big hit the Brewers have been lacking over the past month, doubling into the left-center gap to drive in a pair in the eighth. Segura wound up at third on left fielder Jason Bourgeois' throwing error on the play and scored on a sacrifice fly from Lohse.
Had Segura not come through in that situation, Roenicke said he would have pinch-hit for Lohse with two outs in the eighth with just a 2-0 lead.
"It was huge," Roenicke said of Segura's double. "My gosh, that was huge."
Lohse needed just 14 pitches to work a perfect eighth, leaving little doubt he'd return for the ninth. The final frame was painless, as Lohse retired the Reds in order to seal the deal.
After battling an ankle injury to a 7.30 ERA in August, Lohse posted a 1.17 ERA over his final three starts of the season.
"I felt pretty good the last two or three starts," Lohse said. "Coming out, I wasn't worried about any velocity or anything, just hitting my spots and moving the ball around. I felt really good warming up, and to get that quick first inning where you are spotting up all your pitches, it just builds up your confidence."
Lohse finished 2013 strong as well, tossing a two-hit shutout against the Atlanta Braves in just 89 pitches. He finished last season at 198 2/3 innings pitched, while Wednesday's shutout gave Lohse 198 1/3 innings pitched in 2014.
The soon-to-be 36-year-old lowered his season ERA to 3.54, marking the fourth consecutive season Lohse has finished a year with a sub-4.00 ERA.
"I think it is always important how you finish up," Roenicke said. "You walk away and know you threw the ball well. Hopefully we get a lot of luck here and maybe he (gets) another start.
"It doesn't really matter how many years you've played, it is the same feeling with everybody. If you finish the season on a good note, you feel good in the offseason and coming back next year."
Regardless of if the Brewers receive the nearly unrealistic amount of help that would be necessary to stay alive over the coming days, Roenicke is hoping to see his team play their final four games the way they played Wednesday.
"If the math goes against us, I still hope we play out and play well," Roenicke said. "It is not just Kyle, it is a lot of guys going into the offseason and what they feel like.
"In all phases we played a really good game (Wednesday). And it makes so much difference when you come in here after the game when you win playing the way you'd like to."
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