Kendrick helps Phillies shut out Brewers
MILWAUKEE - There was a lot to be happy about with Kyle Kendrick's start Sunday against the Brewers, but for Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, one thing in particular stood out.
"He got Braun out, he gets a medal for that," Manuel said of Brewers' left fielder Ryan Braun.
Braun came into the game hitting 6-for-11 with three home runs in the first three games of the series, but went 1-for-4 Sunday - and 0-for-3 against Kendrick - in the Brewers' 8-0 loss to Philadelphia at Miller Park.
Kendrick worked eight shutout innings, throwing a season-high 114 pitches and allowed just three hits and one walk.
He has thrown 15 consecutive scoreless innings, and also tied a season-high with seven strikeouts.
"Strikeouts are overrated," Kendrick said. "They're nice, don't get me wrong, but my stuff is coming along. It's been good just trying to stay the same, that's the main thing ... it's easy when things are going well, but there will be ups and downs."
Things were mostly "up" Sunday for Kendrick. After allowing a single to Nyjer Morgan in the third, Kendrick retired the next 11 batters he faced and 17 of his last 18.
"He's far more confident when he's aggressive," Manuel said.
The Phillies jumped on Milwaukee starter Randy Wolf early, getting two in the second on Michael Martinez's home run and adding three more in the third. Kevin Frandsen led off with a single to right and advanced on Ryan Howard's base hit to center. Wolf loaded the bases by walking Ty Wigginton before Domonic Brown drove them all home with a double to left.
Wolf escaped further damage in the inning when Milwaukee center fielder Morgan made a perfect throw to catch Brown trying to score on a Martinez single for the second out.
He would settle down after that, retiring 10 of his next 12 batters and working through the seventh, when Mike McClendon took over. Wolf (3-10) finished with five runs allowed on 10 hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
"My command was really off in my last game, there's no doubt about that," Wolf said. "Today, I wouldn't say my command was horrible. There were a couple pitches that I left out over the plate and they took advantage of it. I'm not going to say I was all over the place, I just didn't make pitches when I needed to."
The Phillies got two more in the eighth on Brian Schneider's double off McClendon and another in the ninth on Brown's RBI single off John Axford.
Milwaukee's best scoring chance came in the first. Morgan led off with a triple to left but was caught trying to score on Rickie Weeks' fielder's choice. The Brewers would put just three runners on the rest of the day, with only one advancing past first base until the ninth inning when right-hander Michael Schwimer gave up a double to Ryan Braun and a single to Jonathan Lucroy before loading the bases by hitting Travis Ishikawa with a pitch.
Schwimer avoided significant damage by getting Carlos Gomez and Cody Ransom to strike out, ending the game.
NOTES: After the game, the Phillies optioned IF Hector Luna to Class AAA Lehigh Valley ... Since the All-Star break, Kendrick is 4-1 with a 2.37 ERA. He's made 10 appearances during that stretch, including four starts. ... The game was halted for seven minutes in the first inning when a rain shower developed. Miller Park's convertible roof was open to start the game and began closing when rain started to fall, forcing the grounds crew to apply a drying agent to the infield ... By splitting the four-game series, the Phillies have not lost a series to Milwaukee since 2007 ... Brewers manager Ron Roenicke celebrated his 56th birthday Sunday ... Braun was charged with an error in the eighth when he misplayed Laynce Nix's fly ball in left ... Norichika Aoki pinch hit in the eighth, striking out. ... Phillies manager Charlie Manuel gave Chase Utley the day off Sunday after the veteran infielder started 30 consecutive games.
