The Milwaukee Brewers were winners in their first game under new management.
The Brewers put together a three-run eighth to beat the Dodgers 4-3 in Craig Counsell’s first game as Milwaukee’s skipper. Hector Gomez ignited the rally with a homer off Clayton Kershaw, who was trying to earn his 100th career victory. Carlos Gomez doubled home the tying run and scored on Ryan Braun’s infield single.
The comeback gives the Brewers three straight wins since a 5-18 start.
Counsell was in the dugout one day after the team dismissed Ron Roenicke. He received a three-year package to replace Roenicke, who compiled a 342-331 record with one division title in a little more than four seasons.
Counsell has no previous managing or coaching experience and spent the last three-plus seasons as special assistant to GM Doug Melvin. He had a 16-year career as a player, the last five with the Brewers before retiring in 2011.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Madison Bumgarner carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and San Francisco picked up its fourth consecutive win by blanking San Diego 2-0. The reigning World Series MVP didn’t allow a hit until Justin Upton’s leadoff single in the seventh.
— Nelson Cruz has a major league-leading 14 homers and hit one of Seattle’s three solo shots off Matt Shoemaker in a 3-2 triumph over the Los Angeles Angels. Logan Morrison and Seth Smith also went deep to support Felix Hernandez, who fanned eight and gave up a run and six hits over seven innings. Hernandez improved to 5-0 with a 1.73 ERA.
— Robinson Chirinos singled home the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning to give Texas a 2-1 victory at Houston, ending the Astros’ 10-game winning streak. The Astros managed just four hits in wasting a strong outing by Dallas Kuechel, who struck out eight while allowing a run and five hits in eight innings.
— Mark Reynolds hit a grand slam and the St. Louis Cardinals stormed back from deficits of 5-0 and 8-4 to beat the Chicago Cubs 10-8. Tony Cruz snapped an 8-8 tie with a two-run double in the seventh to send the Redbirds to their seventh consecutive victory.
— R.A. Dickey gave up a run and three hits in eight innings to pitch Toronto past the New York Yankees 3-1. The game was tied 1-1 in the eighth until Edwin Encarnacion hit an RBI double and scored on Russell Martin’s single.
— Yunel Escobar was 5-for-5 with a tiebreaking, two-run single in the eighth inning of Washington’s sixth victory in seven games, 6-4 over Miami. The Nationals trailed 4-2 in the eighth until Ian Desmond smacked a two-run homer.
— Tampa Bay beat Boston 5-1 behind Jake Odorizzi, who limited the Red Sox to a run and seven hits with six strikeouts in seven innings. Joey Butler socked a two-run homer and David DeJesus had two RBIs as the Rays handed the Bosox their fourth consecutive loss.
— Jeff Francoeur (fran-KOOR’) was 4-for-5 with an RBI double and a run-scoring triple in Philadelphia’s 5-2 triumph in Atlanta. Winning pitcher Aaron Harang held his old team to a run and five hits in six innings.
— Torii Hunter ripped a tiebreaking, three-run homer in the sixth inning to power Minnesota past Oakland 8-7. Brian Dozier hit a two-run double and Jordan Schafer added a pair of RBI hits to the Twins’ fifth consecutive victory.