Brewers Come Up Short in Ninth

Angels 5, Brewers 3
Brewers now 72-51 (1st by 5.0 games)
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ANAHEIM — “This series is important,” Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn told the Milwaukee Sentinel. “There’s no question the Angels can win the West and that we could meet in the playoffs.”

“Important” may be a bit strong for a two-game series against an out-of-division opponent. But one could consider this a measuring stick series to help determine just how good these Milwaukee Brewers are.

So far, not so good. Second year pitcher Mike Witt dominated Milwaukee, allowing three runs on seven hits in a complete game victory to improve to 8-4. And really, those stats don’t do his appearance justice.

Through eight innings, the Brewers managed only one run on four hits. But Robin Yount led off the ninth with a single to center. Cecil Cooper followed with a fly out, but Ted Simmons then doubled to left. Ben Oglivie made things interesting by clubbing a two-run single to right center to bring the tie run to the batters box.

It couldn’t have been a better scenario for the Brewers, as that player with a bat in his hands was none other than baseball’s leading home run hitter, Gorman Thomas. But Gorman swung and missed three times and broke his bat in half over his knee, to the delight of the Angels faithful.

“Damn, Gorman had three good rips at three good pitches and just missed them,” Kuenn said after the game.

Roy Howell then followed with a strikeout of his own, and the Brewers came up short.

Unfortunately, the second place Red Sox didn’t come up short, beating the Seattle Mariners 4-3 to pull to within five games of the Brewers in the AL East. The final game of the two-game series between the Brewers and Angels is tomorrow at 9:30 pm CT.