Brewers win game, lose Sheets
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Saturday, July 14, 2007 10:02 PM CDT
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Pinch-hitter Tony Graffanino’s bloop single scored Geoff Jenkins from third with one out in the 10th inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 2-1 despite losing All-Star Ben Sheets to a sprained finger on his pitching hand.
Derrick Turnbow (2-3) pitched a scoreless 10th for the victory.
Jenkins broke an 0-for-14 slump by hitting the first pitch in the 10th off LaTroy Hawkins (0-4) to the left-center field wall for a double. Tony Gwynn grounded out to second, moving Jenkins to third.
With the infield in, Graffanino hit a soft fly that landed a few feet past the infield in center field, dropping easily for a single and allowing Jenkins to score.
The Brewers managed only four hits while Colorado had only three.
Sheets pitched 3 1-3 innings, giving up one run and two hits while striking out three before leaving with a sprained middle finger. The right-hander grimaced immediately after throwing a pitch to Todd Helton in the fourth and was replaced by Yovani Gallardo.
The team said he would undergo an MRI exam Monday if his symptoms continued.
It was the second time this year he has been removed due to a hand injury. He left in the seventh inning May 22 at Los Angeles because of a blister.
Colorado starter Rodrigo Lopez had a no-hitter until Corey Hart snapped a 1-for-17 slump by hitting his 12th home run of the year with two outs in the sixth, tying the game at 1. The ball barely cleared the left-field fence and the glove of leaping left-fielder Ryan Spilborghs.
Hart’s homer was the only hit allowed by Lopez in seven innings. He struck out five and walked two, exiting after seven innings and throwing 97 pitches.
Spilborghs hit his sixth home run of the year in the third, giving the Rockies a 1-0 lead.
Gallardo pitched 4 2-3 innings of scoreless relief, giving up only one hit that later was erased by a double play.
Sheets pitched a scoreless inning in Tuesday night’s All-Star game, and had been 6-1 in his previous eight starts.
Notes:@ The Brewers lowered their team flag to half mast outside Miller Park Saturday to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the accident that killed three workers building the stadium in 1999. ... The crowd of 42,559 was the Brewers 14th sellout in 45 home games. Last year, the team had 14 sellouts the entire season. ... Lopez had been 1-2 with an 11.20 ERA in his last three starts before Saturday night.
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