MILWAUKEE (AP) — The first pitch Eric Thames swung at made him look foolish — a looping curveball that bounced at the plate.
“I was like, ‘OK, see the ball and trust whatever happens, happens,’” Thames said.
Thames found what he was looking for, hitting a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth off embattled Rockies closer Wade Davis, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat Colorado 5-3 on Friday night.
Down to your last out.
Flex on ‘em, @EricThames! #walkoff pic.twitter.com/yoVPvZjVMQ
— MLB (@MLB) August 4, 2018
“I got a pitch to hit and I didn’t miss it,” said Thames, who hit the second walk-off homer of his career. “That was awesome. Seeing it, feeling it with the sweet spot off the bat and then seeing the team’s reaction and the crowd’s, that was an awesome moment.”
.@Brewers' Eric Thames on his second career walk-off home run: "WHOOOOOOOO" pic.twitter.com/qc0eRZmytt
— FOX Sports Wisconsin (@fswisconsin) August 4, 2018
Not for Davis. It was his sixth blown save of the season and his second in as many days after losing in St. Louis on Thursday.
Davis (1-5) struck out Mike Moustakas to start the inning before allowing a pair of one-out walks. After Jonathan Schoop popped out, Thames hit a 1-1 fastball deep into the right-field bleachers to end it.
“I was definitely trying to go about 10 to 12 inches higher,” Davis said. “We had thrown a couple curveballs in a row. I was going to go back to it. I just wanted to get one up and in.”
Miller Park continues to be a house of horrors for Davis, who also allowed a walk-off homer to Travis Shaw in his last appearance at Milwaukee with the Cubs on Sept. 23, 2017. It wasn’t forgotten in the dugout.
“Our guys were talking about last year when Shaw hit the walk-off against Chicago off Davis: ‘You remember that? Let’s go, let’s get him again,’” Thames said. “We did.”
Padres manager Bud Black said he’ll talk with Davis, who has blown his last three save opportunities against the Brewers, but had no plans to replace him.
“This happens in baseball. You hate to see it. Wade has been such a great closer throughout his career. He’s been through this,” Black said. “He will respond.”
SWEET DREAMS
Thames’ late heroics turned around what had been a pitchers’ duel in which the Rockies’ German Marquez got the better of Junior Guerra.
Marquez allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out nine and retired 15 in a row at one point.
Guerra went eight innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six.
Guerra had been sent home earlier in Milwaukee’s seven-game road trip to get a good night’s rest because of a late start in the series finale in Los Angeles. The rest of the Brewers straggled home at 6 a.m. local time Friday following a 21-5 loss to the Dodgers that set a franchise record for runs allowed.
