MILWAUKEE (AP) - Francisco Rodriguez convinced his manager that he could pitch for a fourth straight day.
He looked as strong as ever, pitching a scoreless inning for his fourth save in four days and the 312th of his career, good for 19th on the career list, and the Brewers beat the San Diego Padres 4-3.
“I feel that I get better the more I throw,” said Rogriguez, who has converted all eight of his save opportunities so far this season and has not allowed a run in 11 appearances. “This is not new for me. I have had a big workload my whole career.”
Rodriguez said he would tell manager Ron Roenicke that he would be ready to take day off on Thursday when the Brewers are not scheduled to play.
Rodriguez’s work so far this season has impressed his bullpen mates.
“He’s been unbelievable,” said Brewers reliever Will Smith, who pitched the team out of a seventh inning jam. “The guy is awesome. He just goes after hitters. He is proof that you can get someone out without a 95 mph fastball.”
Aramis Ramirez homered and Ryan Braun drove in two runs for Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Diego Padres 4-3 Monday night.
Wily Peralta (3-0) gave up three runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings as the Brewers improved their major league-best record to 15-5. Peralta stuck out six.
Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez was in the starting lineup as he waited to see if he would be suspended for his role in a benches clearing brawl on Sunday in Pittsburgh. Major League Baseball is expected to issue its decision on Tuesday. He went 1 for 3 with a double.
Andrew Cashner (2-2) gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings. The four runs scored against Cashner was the first time he had given up more than two earned runs his last 11 starts. It was the second longest streak in Major Leagues behind only Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zach Greinke, who has gone 15 starts without giving up more than two earned runs.
Cashner said he felt like he “beat myself tonight.”
“They have a good-hitting team over there,” he said. “I didn’t execute well with my sinker tonight. I was up with it quite a bit tonight. I just didn’t have my best stuff tonight, but I tried to keep us in the game.”
Peralta helped his own cause in the third inning. He led off with a double and scored on Scooter Gennett’s triple. Braun drove a ball to the wall in right-center where it was caught by Will Venable, but Gennett scored easily.
Ramirez followed with his third home run of the season to give Milwaukee a 3-0 lead.
San Diego trimmed the lead to 3-2 in the fourth inning. Seth Smith singled and Chase Headley walked to start the inning. Yonder Alonso followed with an RBI single.
Chris Denorfia then grounded to shortstop Jean Segura, who threw to Gennett to force Alonso. But Gennett’s throw to first hit a sliding Alonso in the elbow and the ball rolled into right field allowing Headley to score.
Braun’s RBI single in the fifth inning scored Gomez, who led off the inning with a double, and increased Milwaukee’s lead to 4-2.
Denorfia’s first home run of the season in the seventh inning trimmed Milwaukee’s lead to a run. Nick Hundley then doubled and Tommy Medica reached on an error to chase Peralta.
Smith replaced Peralta and walked Xavier Nady. But he got Seth Smith to fly out and struck out Headley to get out of the inning.
NOTES: Brewers LF Khris Davis, who hit the game-winning home run Sunday against Pittsburgh, was a late scratch due to the stomach flu. He was replaced in the starting lineup by OF Elian Herrera. … Padres manager Bud Black said OF Cameron Maybin, who ruptured his left biceps March 2, could be reinstated and added to the Padres’ 25-man roster during San Diego’s current 10-game road trip. … Milwaukee will start Yvoni Gallardo (2-0) in the second game of the series Tuesday, while the Padres will counter with Ian Kennedy (1-3)
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