MIAMI (AP) - Carlos Gomez’s aggressiveness on the base paths proved to be costly for the Brewers.
Gomez was thrown out at third base trying to advance from first on a single by Mark Reynolds for the final out of the sixth inning, which prevented Ryan Braun from scoring for Milwaukee in a 2-1 loss to the Miami Marlins on Saturday.
“I made the decision to go to third because that’s how you make things happen,” Gomez said. “If it happened again, I would go again because that’s how we play the game.”
Braun was on his way to score easily from second, but left fielder Christian Yelich’s throw to third got Gomez before Braun crossed home plate preserving a 1-0 lead for the Marlins.
“I run the bases like I do every time and I think he’s supposed to score,” Gomez said. “If you look at the replay, I think you’ll find some answers to it.”
Home plate umpire Brian O’Nora immediately called off the run and took 40 seconds to review the play, which was upheld.
“A perfect throw,” Redmond said.
At the plate, Gomez continues to be locked in. He had two hits including his fourth double in two games and is 9 for 13 in his last three games.
“He’s still doing a nice job,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “He is going the other way really well.”
Marlins starter Jacob Turner (1-2) was finally able to record a win after 17 starts without one. He pitched 6 1-3 scoreless innings.
“I hope it reaffirms the fact of how good of stuff that he has and that he can pitch and win at this level,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said.
Turner’s last win was on July 10, 2013 against Atlanta. He had lost nine consecutive decisions.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jeff Baker drove in the runs for the Marlins, who have won three of four.
Steve Cishek recorded the final four outs for his 10th save in 11 chances.
Brewers starter Wily Peralta (4-4) allowed one run and six hits in six innings.
“It was a tough loss,” Peralta said. “When you pitch like that you want to win.”
Braun was in the lineup after missing Friday’s game with tightness in his right side and went 1 for 4.
A day after the two teams combined for a Marlins Park-record seven home runs, it was a much different contest.
“After last night’s game where the ball was flying out of here—that’s the beauty of baseball, you come out here and it’s a 2-1 game, every out is big, every at-bat is a big at-bat,” Redmond said.
Yelich’s head’s up play in the sixth to throw out Gomez proved to be the difference.
“I knew there wasn’t going to be any play at home and I knew Gomez was pretty aggressive on the bases,” Yelich said. “…I decided to make a throw at third and see what happened and I ended up getting him before the run scored.”
The Marlins scored in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-0 lead when Adeiny Hechavarria led off with a base hit, stole second, and then scored on a base hit by Baker.
Jonathan Lucroy’s RBI double off the right-field wall in the eighth cut the deficit to 2-1. Gomez struck out on a ball in the dirt, but reached second base on Saltalamacchia’s errant throw down to first base.
With runners on second and third, Cishek came on to strike out Scooter Gennett to end the inning.
“We got some hits today,” Roenicke said. “We didn’t get them until a little bit later on, but we did get some hits and we had base runners. We had a couple of chances; we missed the one with Gomie when he was thrown out (in the sixth). We didn’t score on that so that hurt obviously.”
Saltalamacchia provided the Marlins’ first run with an RBI double in the second inning scoring Casey McGehee.
NOTES: Roenicke is now 5-4 in challenges this season after losing the call in the sixth. … Before the game the Marlins placed LHP Brad Hand on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle and recalled LHP Dan Jennings from Triple-A New Orleans. … After the game Brewers SS Jeff Bianchi was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville to make room for RHP Jimmy Nelson, who will start on Sunday. … Miami will counter with LHP Randy Wolf as both Wolf and Nelson will be making their first starts of the season.
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