Indians strand 14 in loss to Brewers

6/17/2009

CLEVELAND - Yovani Gallardo won for the third time in four starts despite walking a season-high six as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cleveland Indians 7-5 last night.

Gallardo (7-3) gave up two runs and five hits while striking out eight. He twice worked out of bases-loaded jams.

The Indians went hitless in 14 tries with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners stranded overall until Travis Hafner hit a two-run homer with one out in the ninth to make it 7-5.

Milwaukee, leading the NL Central, won for only the third time in nine games. The Indians fell further into last place in the AL Central with their third loss in four games.

Gallardo has a 1.44 ERA in five starts since May 25 - but has made 221 pitches in only 10 innings over his past two outings.

J.J. Hardy had two hits and two RBIs for Milwaukee. The shortstop entered the game with just one hit in his last 35 at-bats. He was hitless in 30 at-bats before singling in the sixth inning of Milwaukee's wild 14-12 comeback win

Monday.

Hafner drove in three runs, Shin-Soo Choo had three hits, and Mark DeRosa hit a solo homer, his 13th, and had two RBIs for Cleveland.

The Brewers got within 2-1 in the fourth against Jeremy Sowers (1-4). Ryan Braun singled and scored on Prince Fielder's opposite-field double off the left-field wall.

Milwaukee took a 3-2 lead with a two-run fifth. Casey McGehee drove in one run with a bases-loaded fielder's choice and Bill Hall followed with a sacrifice fly.

Mike Cameron snapped an 0-for-16 slide with a run-scoring triple in the Brewers' three-run eighth. He was the only Brewer without a hit Monday.

Sowers gave up three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings. The left-hander struck out two.

NOTES: Brewers second baseman McGehee left in the seventh inning with a sore right knee. ... Hafner drew consecutive intentional walks in the fifth and seventh. He didn't have any in his first 92 plate appearances. ... Milwaukee third baseman Bill Hall went 0-for-4 to extend his slump to 7-for-75 (.093). ... Indians infielder Jhonny Peralta, in a 5-for-35 slump, didn't play. Manager Eric Wedge said thinks Peralta is trying to pull the ball too much. "He's got to get his head straight. He's not a baby anymore. He's been up here four or five years. He's got to figure it out. It's the big leagues." ... Indians lefty Scott Lewis allowed one run over 32/3 innings in an injury rehab outing for Double-A Akron.