Rhys Hoskins and Joey Ortiz hit back-to-back home runs in a five-run second, the Milwaukee bullpen threw five shutout innings and the Brewers opened a three-game road series against the Oakland Athletics with an 11-3 triumph Friday night.
Gary Sanchez chipped in with his third career triple, a bases-clearing job in the ninth, to assure the Brewers would end a two-game losing streak.
Trailing 1-0 after Oakland’s Lawrence Butler hit Aaron Civale’s second pitch for his 14th homer of the season, the Brewers took the lead for good in the second after Willy Adames and Sanchez opened the frame with singles against A’s left-hander JP Sears (10-9).
Hoskins put the visitors on top with a three-run homer, his 21st, before Ortiz bombed Sears’ next pitch for his ninth homer, making it 4-1.
Andruw Monasterio singled before Sears induced a foulout. Jackson Chourio capped the uprising when his single was misplayed by A’s left fielder Miguel Andujar, allowing Monasterio to score from first.
Chourio doubled home a run and scored another in a two-run fourth that increased the margin to 7-1 and ended Sears’ night.
The Oakland ace was charged with seven runs (five earned) on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one.
The A’s got within 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth when Civale walked in a run and allowed a second run on a Butler infield out with the bases loaded.
Civale retired Brent Rooker on a liner to right to end the inning with two aboard. That was the end of the night for Civale, who allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in four innings. He struck out three.
Bryan Hudson (6-1), Joel Payamps, Trevor Megill and Joe Ross took it from there, blanking the A’s on two hits over five innings.
The Brewers made it a blowout with a four-run ninth, with Sanchez’s triple doing most of the damage. Sanchez later scored on a sacrifice fly, Hoskins’ fourth RBI of the night
Chourio, Ortiz, Sanchez, Blake Perkins and Sal Frelick all had two hits, while Sanchez and Adames scored twice each for the Brewers, who out-hit the hosts 14-6.
Butler’s homer was Oakland’s only extra-base hit, while Seth Brown had two singles.