Brewers outlast Red Sox in 11 innings

Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

For the second straight day, the Milwaukee Brewers broke a late-game tie to deny the Boston Red Sox an opportunity for a 2014 victory at Fenway Park. The Brewers scored the go-ahead run on back-to-back doubles in the 11th inning and outlasted the home team 7-6.

Tyler Thornburg (1-0) was the winning pitcher, while Francisco Rodriquez notched his second save in as many days. Burke Badenhop (0-1) took the loss.

The Brewers broke on top early, collecting 13 hits and six runs off starter Clay Buchholz over four and one-third innings. The Red Sox battled back to tie the score at six after six innings, three of the runs coming from a Mike Napoli home run in the bottom of the third.

Seven Red Sox pitchers struck out 17 batters walking only one, but the Brewers were resilient and capitalized on mistakes.

Buchholz, making his first start of the 2014 season, had problems locating his pitches. Red Sox’ relievers Chris Capuano, Brandon Workman, Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa pitched admirably though, holding the brewers scoreless over six innings before Khris Davis and Logan Schafer hit consecutive doubles off Badenhop in the eleventh inning to claim the lead for good. Andrew Miller recorded the final out, with a strikeout. Five Red Sox hurlers recorded at least three strikeouts each.

Carlos Gomez and Mark Reynolds went deep for the Brewers. Davis had four hits and scored two runs. Jean Segura and Aramis Ramirez had three hits each. Catcher Martín Maldonado, batting ninth, was the only Brewer to go hitless.

Napoli and Xander Bogaerts had two hits apiece, accounting for more than half of the Red Sox seven hits. Grady Sizemore started in center field and batted in the lead-off position for the first time this season

David Ortiz did not start due to a nagging calf strain. He pinch hit however, grounding out. Before the game. Will Middlebrooks injured his calf. He was replaced at third base in the lineup by Jonathan Herrera. Mike Carp also was scratched from the starting lineup due to back tightness. He entered the game at first base in late innings however.

Daniel Nava was sharp defensively both at first base and right field.

The Red Sox offense was tepid and the effort seemed lacking as the game wore on.

Jon Lester (0-1) takes the hill for the Red Sox (2-3) at 1:35 p.m. Sunday to try to prevent the series sweep. Yovani Gallardo (1-0) counters for the Brewers (3-2).