Andrew McCutchen snapped an 0-for-32 skid with a walk-off single as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied with four runs in the ninth inning for a 5-4 victory over visiting San Diego on Thursday.
The Brewers rallied against closer Taylor Rogers (0-3), who failed to retire any of the four hitters he faced.
Keston Hiura, who struck out on each of his first three-at bats, singled to open the ninth. Rogers then hit Kolten Wong and Victor Caratini with pitches to load the bases. Jace Peterson followed with a bases-clearing triple off the wall in right-center to tie it 4-4.
Nabil Crismatt took over for Rogers, and McCutchen lined the game-winning single to center, ending the opener of a four-game series.
The Padres, who lost their fourth straight game, wasted a strong start by Sean Manaea, who allowed one run on five hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked two.
Jorge Alfaro put the Padres up 3-1 in the sixth with his third homer, a two-run shot. Pinch hitter Jose Azocar opened the inning with a bloop double down the right field line off Brent Suter, who entered to start the inning. After Trent Grisham’s sacrifice bunt, Alfaro hammered the first pitch 416 feet to center.
San Diego made it 4-1 in the eighth after loading the bases with one out against Peter Strzelecki, who was making his major league debut after being called up Monday from Triple-A Nashville. Sergio Alcantara followed with a sacrifice fly.
Strzelecki (1-0) then threw a scoreless ninth and wound up earning the victory.
The Padres got their first run off Brewers starter Adrian Houser in the fifth. Manny Machado singled with two outs, and Eric Hosmer followed with an RBI double to right-center.
Milwaukee answered in the bottom half when Kolten Wong scored from third on a bases-loaded groundout by McCutchen. Manaea escaped further damage when Luis Urias bounced into an inning-ending double play.
Houser allowed one run on five hits in five innings, with five strikeouts and three walks. He is winless in his past five starts.
–Field Level Media