PHILADELPHIA (AP) -These were the Bumbling Brewers.
A bobbled bunt. A dropped throw. A misplay by center fielder Mike Cameron, just when he needed one of those dazzling catches that earned him three Gold Gloves.
All in the same inning, too, and they doomed the Brewers in a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of their NL playoff series Wednesday.
No Happy Days for Milwaukee, for sure, in the Brewers’ first postseason appearance since 1982.
This was the kind of meek defensive effort that a veteran pitcher would’ve had a hard time escaping. The extra baserunners proved too much for 22-year-old Yovani Gallardo in only his second start since May.
It was scoreless in the third inning when Philadelphia’s Carlos Ruiz hit a leadoff single. Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels followed with a sacrifice bunt that went right at third baseman Bill Hall, who could have easily thrown out Ruiz at second.
baseman Rickie Weeks dropped a routine throw for an error while covering first.
Gallardo nearly pitched out of the jam, retiring Jimmy Rollins on a flyout and striking out Jayson Werth.
Chase Utley then hit a deep drive and the whipping winds appeared to confuse Cameron. The normally steady center fielder sprinted to his right before veering back, and the ball slipped out of his backhanded stab.
Cameron tumbled to the wet grass while Ruiz and Hamels dashed home on the two-run double.
The Phillies made it 3-0 later in the inning when Gallardo walked Shane Victorino with the bases loaded.
All three runs were unearned in a tough postseason debut for Gallardo – only the second pitcher in major league history to start a postseason game without recording a win that year.
With the way Hamels dominated Milwaukee’s lineup, those was all the runs the Phillies needed.
Gallardo walked five and struck out three in four innings. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee just before spring training, then hurt his right knee while trying to hurdle a baserunner against the Cubs.
The Brewers committed 101 errors this season, tied for sixth worst in the NL. Weeks made 15 of them, probably none on a play as easy as this one. Then again, first baseman Prince Fielder (17 errors) gives Milwaukee one of the shakiest right sides of the infield in baseball.
error, the former All-Star has made more spectacular catches on tougher angles than this one. The Gold Glover (2001, 2003, and 2006) committed only one error this season, but a bad break on the ball in bad weather turned out to be enough to wreck the Brewers.
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