MIAMI (AP) — Christian Yelich hit a go-ahead two-run triple in the eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 7-5 on Tuesday night.
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William Contreras had two hits and three RBIs, and Willy Adames doubled twice for the NL Central-leading Brewers (28-20).
Trailing 5-4, Jake Bauers doubled against Marlins reliever A.J. Puk (0-5) to lead off the eighth and Contreras drew a two-out walk. Yelich then cleared the bases with a drive to deep right-center that put the Brewers ahead 6-5. Adames’ RBI double scored Yelich and chased Puk.
“I kinda knew that I was probably going to be the one to end up facing him, when William was up there,” Yelich said. “I figure they’d probably pitch around him – I don’t know if they were or not. Just feeling the at-bat out and making some adjustments throughout it. I’m glad that one got to the wall.”
The two extra base hits by Adames snapped a 1-for-17 skid.
“I’ve been great mentally because I’ve been hitting the ball hard. They haven’t been dropping,” Adames said. “At some point, they’re going to start dropping. I just try to stay strong mentally and keep hitting the ball hard as much as I can.”
Tobias Myers (1-2) pitched a scoreless seventh for his first major league win and Joel Payamps followed with a perfect eighth. A night after squandering a one-run lead in the ninth, Trevor Megill struck out the side to earn his seventh save.
“Grateful for the type of guys we have,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “They do stay relentless. Pay the price for whatever it takes to win that day.”
Dane Myers’ sacrifice fly capped a three-run sixth inning off Brewers starter Robert Gasser and gave Miami a 5-4 lead. Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored from second on Otto Lopez’s sacrifice bunt to make it 4,-3 and Christian Bethancourt hit a game-tying single ahead of Myers.
“I’m proud of the fight,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “That group fought back. Some pretty electric plays. Some good baseball plays. Jazz – I’m not sure how many people can run the bases like that. The instincts are real. Not too many people can do what he did.”
Making his third major league start, Gasser allowed five runs, four earned, and 10 hits.
Milwaukee struck quickly against Miami starter Trevor Rogers with single runs in the first and second. Contreras’ RBI double put the Brewers on the board and Blake Perkins’ run-scoring single made it 2-0.
The Marlins narrowed the gap on López’s RBI single in the second before Contreras’ two-run single in the fourth extended the lead for Milwaukee.
Rogers’ outing ended after 3 2/3 innings. The left-hander allowed four runs and six hits, walked four and struck out four.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: Placed RHP Joe Ross (low back strain) on the 15-day injured list and recalled Myers from Triple-A Nashville. Ross started the series opener Monday and exited after the first inning.
Marlins: Reinstated INF Tim Anderson (lower back tightness) from the injured list and optioned INF Tristan Gray to Triple-A Jacksonville. Anderson went 2 for 4 and scored a run in his return.
UP NEXT
RHP Freddy Peralta (3-2, 4.17 ERA) will start the series finale for the Brewers on Wednesday. LHP Jesús Luzardo (1-3, 5.02 ERA) will go for the Marlins.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – Milwaukee Brewers mascot Bernie Brewer during an exhibition spring training baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)