Brewers notes, 5/12
X-rays negative on Weeks’ left wrist
By Jordan Schelling / Special to MLB.com
Weeks was hit by a pitch on his wrist and hand leading off the bottom of the 13th, the second time he was hit in the game. His 97th and 98th career hit by pitches extended Weeks’ club record.
After having the injury examined briefly, Weeks remained in the game, eventually scoring the game-winning run for the Brewers.
Had he left the game, things would have gotten interesting for Milwaukee, which had just two available players remaining: starting pitchers Marco Estrada (who was in the bullpen) and Yovani Gallardo, who was scheduled to pinch-hit later in the inning.
“Yo was going to go to left, Braunie was going to short and Izzy to second,” Roenicke said, referring to left fielder Ryan Braun and shortstop Cesar Izturis.
Axford has very eventful evening
MILWAUKEE — John Axford’s consecutive saves streak ended Friday night. Shortly after, he was headed to the hospital with his wife, who had gone into labor.
Axford left before the Brewers’ 13-inning, 8-7 victory had concluded, but not before leaving a quick, hand-written note for the media. The note read:
“I put my wife into contractions with my performance tonight! So I had to run to the hospital. The streak is over so now you can talk about it. The luck I’ve had in the past didn’t show up tonight! All I can do is begin another streak and keep my head up! Cliché … Cliché … Another cliché. Gotta go! Love, Ax.”
The note was the perfect example of Axford’s personality. Even when something far more important was weighing on his mind, the Brewers closer left a note to the Milwaukee media to explain the situation.
The good news for Axford on Saturday morning was that his wife’s contractions were stopped. She was due in June, and had gone into labor early, and now will remain in the hospital a few days, and take it easy for a bit.
Axford was expected to be with the club for Saturday’s game.
“He’ll be coming today,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “I told him ‘Don’t worry about when you show up. Just come and be ready for the late innings.’ And we’ll see how it goes.”
As for Axford’s streak, it ended after he had converted 49 consecutive saves, ranking fourth-best in Major League history.
With it having ended more than a year after it began on April 24, 2011, it really put into perspective how impressive the streak was for Axford. Roenicke compared it to Francisco Rodriguez’s 62-save season in 2008 with the Angels.
“As good as Frankie was the year that he set the saves record, he still blew [seven] that year,” Roenicke said. “With the way that teams can swing the bats now, it’s incredible.”
Five-hour game leaves Brewers speechless
MILWAUKEE — If their Saturday afternoon were uneventful, it would be a welcome change for the Brewers. They already went through enough craziness on Friday night.
After playing six innings of a 1-0 pitchers’ duel, the final seven innings turned into a wild, back-and-forth affair. The Cubs and Brewers each scored four in the seventh inning, trading clutch pinch-hits, with David DeJesus’ grand slam and Jonathan Lucroy’s bases-clearing double.
They traded runs again in the ninth inning, with John Axford giving up a rare three runs (one earned) and Corey Hart belting a two-run, game-tying homer to extend the game. Following 3 1/2 tense, scoreless innings, the Brewers finally came out with the win.
“It really is hard for me to replay the game,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “There was just so much going on.”
The 5-hour, 4-minute contest was the 17th game in franchise history to eclipse the five-hour mark, and the first since a 15-inning game on April 22, 2004, that lasted 5:22. Only three of the Brewers’ 25 players did not play in the game: starting pitchers Marco Estrada, Yovani Gallardo and Shaun Marcum.
The 14 walks in the game also marked the third-highest total in Milwaukee franchise history.
But even more crazy events occurred off the field for the Brewers.
Axford left shortly after his first blown save in more than a year as his wife had gone into early labor. First-base coach Garth Iorg’s wife fell in a Miller Park parking lot, breaking her left wrist and right elbow. And Corey Hart’s wife hit a deer on her way home from the ballpark.
“I was so exhausted from the game,” Roenicke said, “and I come in, I’m like ‘Oh my gosh.’ So it was a bad day. It was a good win, but it was a bad day.”
Wolf, Parra, Chulk excel in Friday’s win
MILWAUKEE — Lost in the shuffle of the Brewers’ marathon 8-7 victory on Friday night were the pitching performances of starter Randy Wolf and relievers Manny Parra and Vinnie Chulk.
Despite walking three batters, Wolf delivered his best outing of the season with six scoreless innings. But that was seven frames before the end of the game.
After a wild seventh, eighth and ninth innings, Parra and Chulk came on to toss four scoreless innings in the 10th through 13th. Chulk picked up the win, his first since Aug. 19, 2007.
“It was awesome,” Chulk said. “It’s one of those games that could start something really nice here.”
Chulk tossed two innings, allowing just two hits and one intentional walk along with two strikeouts. He is 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in three appearances with the Brewers since being called up from Triple-A Nashville on April 29.
Parra went two innings, allowing a hit and two walks with three strikeouts. He has not allowed a run in his last seven appearances, spanning 7 2/3 innings. Opponents have hit .087 (2-for-23) over that stretch.
“I was very impressed with Manny and Vinnie,” said catcher Jonathan Lucroy, who caught the last six innings of the ballgame. “They came out and did their job, and executed very well. And I was very happy to see that. They battled their butts off, man, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Last call
• The Brewers made a handful of Minor League roster moves Saturday. Right-hander Rob Wooten was promoted from Double-A Huntsville to Triple-A Nashville, while lefty Dan Meadows was sent from Nashville to Huntsville.
Right-hander Hiram Burgos also was promoted from Class-A Brevard County to Huntsville, while righty Eric Marzec went from Huntsville to Brevard County. All four players will be active for their new teams on Saturday.
• Chad Thompson and Mark Williams, the two pitchers who combined on May 4 to toss a no-hitter for Class A Wisconsin, were recognized in an on-field ceremony before Saturday’s game. The two right-handers received plaques presented by Brewers pitching coordinator Lee Tunnell.
• Right-hander Shaun Marcum left Friday night’s 5-hour, 13-inning contest early to get some extra rest before his start Saturday afternoon. With Marcum gone, the Brewers had just two available players — starters Yovani Gallardo and Marco Estrada — remaining by the end of the game.
Jordan Schelling is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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