Milwaukee Brewers' Willy Adames reacts after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Brewers won 5-4 on June 12 in Milwaukee.Jeffrey Phelps/The Associated Press
Rookie Tobias Myers won back-to-back starts for the first time, allowing one run and three hits over six innings to lead the Milwaukee Brewers over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Wednesday for their sixth straight home series win.
Myers (3-2) struck out four and walked one, leaving with a 5-1 lead. The 25-year-old right-hander improved to 3-0 in his past five starts.
“I think I did a pretty good job of landing everything today and that opened up some opportunities to throw some curveballs in the fifth inning,” Myers said. “We just kept it going from last week.”
Milwaukee stranded the potential tying run at third base in a three-run ninth when pinch-hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. flied out to the center-field warning track.
“It’s a tough loss, for sure,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It would have been easier to just pack it in after they scored five but we didn’t do that and just a couple feet away from having the lead in the ninth inning.”
The Brewers took two of three from the Blue Jays. The NL Central-leading Brewers are 20-11 at home and 20-17 on the road.
Toronto, which had won five of seven, dropped to 33-35 and has not been at .500 since April.
Davis Schneider hit his eighth home run of the season in the first inning, and Myers faced one batter over the minimum over the rest of his outing.
Toronto starter Chris Bassitt allowed five hits in five scoreless innings. The Brewers loaded the bases in the first and third innings, extending a streak to 0 for 24 with runners in scoring position.
“He made big pitches when he had to without having his best command,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s just a veteran making big-time pitches in big spots.”
Zach Pop (0-1) walked Blake Perkins with two outs in the sixth along allowed a single to Brice Turang that put runners on the corners. Turang stole second as catcher Alejandro Kirk’s throw bounced away from second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Perkins came across on what was credited as a steal of home and Turang went to third on Kirk’s error.
“We’ve done that play before,” Schneider said. “You just have to handle the baseball a little bit better.”
William Contreras’s single put Milwaukee ahead 2-1, Christian Yelich hit an RBI single off Tim Mayza and Willy Adames hit a two-run homer.
“It’s like shaking a bottle when it’s carbonated,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “It’s going to fizz but at some point it’s going top pop.”
Spencer Horwitz had an RBI single in the ninth off Hoby Milner before Trevor Megill relieved. Bo Bichette’s RBI single and Kirk’s sacrifice fly pulled the Blue Jays within a run before Megill retired Guerrero for his 11th save in 12 chances.
Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier was held out of the starting lineup after fouling a ball off as knee Tuesday night but entered in the eighth inning as defensive replacement in centre field.
Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (5-4, 4.00) starts Friday’s series opener at home against Cleveland.