PODCAST: Lightning Strikes
Packers-Saints (0:00)
Jordan Love's Performance (15:28)
Callers Sound Off on the Packers (38:16)
Rob Reischel of Forbes.com on the Packers (51:43)
Berti homers twice in 6-1 win as Marlins prevent Brewers from clinching NL Central
MIAMI (AP) — Jon Berti had his second career multihomer game, and the Miami Marlins beat Milwaukee 6-1 on Sunday, the second straight day they prevented the Brewers from clinching the NL Central.
Josh Bell also went deep, Jorge Soler had three hits and Jazz Chisholm Jr. doubled twice for the Marlins, who remained one game behind the Chicago Cubs for the third NL wild card spot. Milwaukee's division lead over the second-place Cubs was cut to six games.
“This is what you play for — meaningful games in September down the stretch,” Berti said. “We just have a really tight-knit group of guys here. It just makes that much more fun and we’re going to keep doing it.”
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera (7-7) allowed one run and five hits in five-plus innings with five strikeouts.
“What really helped me today is keeping everything under control,” Cabrera said through a translator. “It’s not letting the speed of the game control me. I am feeling more confident now.”
Xavier Edwards stepped in for injured Miami infielder Luis Arraez and had three hits and two stolen bases. Arraez, the major league batting leader at .353, didn’t play after he aggravated a sprained left ankle Saturday. Arraez rolled his ankle during pre-game infield drills Tuesday then slipped on the dugout steps before the ninth inning Saturday.
“We’ve talked about next man up for the majority of the year,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker. “We’ve had a lot of injuries. Every team has a lot of injuries. It tests your depth and tests our staff’s belief in guys and just letting them know that we believe in them. I think there’s leadership in that clubhouse that helps that a lot. We don’t get to where we get to without that part of our clubhouse.”
Berti homered in the second on a slider from Freddy Peralta (12-10), who gave up four runs and nine hits in three innings. Bell’s solo homer and Bryan De La Cruz’s two-run single boosted the lead to 4-0 in the third.
Milwaukee closed on Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single in the fifth before Berti completed a 13-pitch at-bat with a two-run homer off Julio Teheran in the bottom half, Berti’s sixth home run this season. Berti’s only other multihomer game was on May 4 last year against Arizona.
“He kept throwing strikes and I kept fouling them off,” Berti said. “At some point he was going to throw a ball eventually but he just kept attacking. Fortunately, I got a good one there at the end.”
After winning four of the first five against Miami this season, including a 16-1 rout in the series opener Friday, the Brewers will attempt to clinch the division at home Tuesday.
“They’re playing for a lot as well and they came out and played two good games,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “There’s no reason to be disappointed right now. We put ourselves in a great position.”
Miami went 46-35 at home, up from 34-47 last year, and finish the regular season with three-game series at the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates.
ATTENDANCE UPTICK
Miami drew 17,538 Sunday and finished with home attendance of 1,162,819, an increase of 255,332 from last year but still the NL low. Miami topped 1 million for the first time since drawing 1,583,014 in 2017.
MILESTONE FOR SCOTT
Marlins closer Tanner Scott struck out the side in a perfect ninth, giving him 101 strikeouts. He is the first left-handed Miami reliever to reach triple digits.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: RHP Elvis Peguero (right elbow infusion) threw before the game and is expected to progress to a bullpen session in the next two days.
Marlins: OF Avisaíl García (left hamstring strain) continues with baseball activities and running progression. He will begin base running drills the next few days.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Adrian Houser (7-4, 4.35) will start the opener of a three-game home series against St. Louis on Tuesday. The Cardinals will go with LHP Zack Thompson (5-7, 4.57).
Marlins: LHP Braxton Garrett (9-6, 3.53) starts Tuesday’s series opener at the Mets, who go with LHP Joey Lucchesi (3-0, 2.88).
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Story Details
Date: Sep 24, 2023 4:56 PM
Slug: BC-BBN--Brewers-Marlins, 1st Ld-Writethru
Headline: Berti homers twice in 6-1 win as Marlins prevent Brewers from clinching NL Central
Source: AP
Notes: Eds: UPDATES: with details and quotes. With AP Photos.
Copyright: AP
Dateline: MIAMI
Words: 745
PHOTO (7)1 OF 7
Slide 1 of 7PreviousNext
Miami Marlins' Josh Bell runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the third inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Date: Sep 24, 2023 2:19 PM
Slug: Brewers Marlins Baseball
Headline: Brewers Marlins Baseball
Source: AP
Jordan Love rallies Packers to 18-17 win after Saints lose Derek Carr to shoulder injury
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jordan Love rallied Green Bay from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit in his first career home start — a comeback that began after New Orleans lost quarterback Derek Carr to a shoulder injury — and the Packers stunned the Saints 18-17 on Sunday.
The Packers (2-1) scored 18 points in the final 11 minutes to win their 11th consecutive home opener, the NFL’s longest active streak. They took the lead on Love’s 8-yard pass to Romeo Doubs in the right corner of the end zone with 2:56 left.
Carr's backup, Jameis Winston, drove the Saints (2-1) into scoring position, but Blake Grupe’s 46-yard field-goal attempt with just over a minute left sailed wide right. It was the first career miss in seven attempts for Grupe, a rookie who played in college at Arkansas State and Notre Dame.
New Orleans led 17-0 when Carr left with a shoulder injury in the third quarter after one of Rashan Gary’s career-high three sacks. That set the stage for Love to spark the type of rally that his predecessor, Aaron Rodgers, orchestrated on this field so many times.
Love was making his fourth career start but first at home as he takes over for Rodgers, a four-time MVP who was traded to the New York Jets in the offseason. The fourth-year pro from Utah State went 22 of 44 for 259 yards with one touchdown pass, a TD run and an interception.
Green Bay became the third team in the past 30 years to win after being shut out 17-0 or worse through three quarters. The others were Carolina against Philadelphia on Oct. 21, 2018, and Tennessee against the New York Giants on Nov. 26, 2006.
Anders Carlson’s 38-yard field goal with 11 minutes left began Green Bay's comeback.
On the Packers’ next possession, Love faked a handoff to Patrick Taylor before running into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 1. Love connected with Samori Toure on a 2-point conversion to make it 17-11 with 6:58 remaining.
The Packers forced a three-and-out and took over at their 20 with 5:23 remaining. A 24-yard scramble by Love and a 30-yard completion to Jayden Reed set up the go-ahead touchdown.
Winston threw a 28-yard completion to Chris Olave and connected with him again two plays later on a 10-yard gain that put the Saints in field-goal range.
The Saints had taken their big lead by scoring touchdowns on Carr's 8-yard pass to Jimmy Graham and Rashid Shaheed's 76-yard punt return. Grupe's 25-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half made it 17-0.
Green Bay won without five key contributors: cornerback Jaire Alexander (back), running back Aaron Jones (hamstring), wide receiver Christian Watson (hamstring), left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee) and left guard Elgton Jenkins (knee). Bakhtiari and Jones were missing their second straight games, while Watson has yet to play this season.
INJURIES
Saints RG Cesar Ruiz left with a concussion in the first half.
Packers LB De'Vondre Campbell (ankle) and CB Carrington Valentine (biceps) left the game. Valentine, a rookie seventh-round pick from Kentucky, was making his first career start. OT Zach Tom hurt his knee late in the game.
UP NEXT
Saints: Host Tampa Bay next Sunday.
Packers: Host Detroit on Thursday night.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Brewers will have to wait at least one more day before clinching the NL Central
MIAMI (AP) — Jake Burger hit a three-run homer, the Marlins scored the tie-breaking run in the eighth inning and Miami beat Milwaukee 5-4 on Saturday to stay within a game of the Cubs for the third NL wild card and prevent the Brewers from clinching the NL Central.
Pinch runner Garrett Hampson scored the winning run on a wild pitch by Brewers reliever Joel Payamps (6-5) in the eighth.
Burger drew a leadoff walk before Bryan De La Cruz’s single to right advanced Hampson to third. Payamps' slider got past catcher William Contreras as Hampson sprinted home.
Miami’s Luis Arraez went 1-for-5 and his major league-leading batting average dropped to .353, while Carlos Santana hit his career 300th homer for Milwaukee.
Andrew Nardi (8-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and Tanner Scott closed with a perfect ninth for his 10th save.
The Brewers erased a 4-0 deficit with a four-run sixth on William Contreras’ infield single and Santana’s homer over wall in center off reliever A.J. Puk.
Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo allowed three hits, struck out four and walked three in five innings.
Miami struck quickly on Burger’s three-run blast in the first. Burger drove the first pitch from Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff over the wall in left for his 34th homer and ninth since joining the Marlins Aug. 1.
Nick Fortes’ sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 4-0.
Woodruff was lifted after five innings. The right-hander gave up four runs, six hits, struck out six and walked two.
Earlier Saturday, Marlins ace right-hander Sandy Alcantara said he will not pitch again this season after experiencing a setback during a minor league rehab start Thursday. Alcantara, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, went on the injured list Sept. 6 because of a right forearm flexor strain.
SPECIAL REUNION
Arraez’s parents received visas from their native Venezuela and arrived in Miami on Thursday. They had never seen their son play in a major league game until the series against Milwaukee.
ROSTER MOVE
The Marlins selected the contract of RHP Jeff Lindgren from Triple-A Jacksonville and placed RHP Eury Pérez on the 15-day injured list because of left SI joint inflammation.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: RHP Huascar Brazoban (left hip impingement) threw one inning in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday and is scheduled to throw two innings on Sunday.
UP NEXT
RHP Freddy Peralta (12-9, 3.71) will start the final game of the series for the Brewers on Sunday while the Marlins will go with RHP Edward Cabrera (6-7, 4.35).
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Brewers clinch playoff spot, close in on NL Central title with 12-run 2nd in 16-1 rout of Marlins
MIAMI (AP) — Postseason appearances have become a regular accomplishment for the Milwaukee Brewers lately.
Christian Yelich and Josh Donaldson homered during a 12-run second inning and the Brewers clinched their latest playoff berth Friday night with a 16-1 rout of the Miami Marlins.
Milwaukee, assured at least a National League wild card, trimmed its magic number to one for wrapping up the NL Central title. The Brewers, who have won four straight, can secure the crown with another victory Saturday over Miami or a loss by the Chicago Cubs to Colorado.
It's the fifth postseason trip in six years for the Brewers — by far the best stretch in franchise history.
“The way we’ve played and the confidence these guys have in each other, it’s a playoff team,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We deserve to be there the way this team has played the last six weeks.”
The defeat dropped the Marlins one game behind the Cubs for the third and final NL wild card.
Yelich also launched a three-shot in the sixth as he returned to the lineup after missing 11 of the previous 12 games because of lower back tightness.
“You haven’t seen game action for a few weeks and you kind of don’t know where your timing is going to be,” Yelich said. “Took a bunch of swings the last few days and checked the health boxes.”
Corbin Burnes (10-8) benefited from the early run support and scattered two hits over five scoreless innings. He struck out six. The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner had not won since July 20.
“Twelve runs – I didn’t know that was possible,” Burnes said. “Obviously, it makes the next innings go a little easier.”
Milwaukee sent 15 batters to the plate against relievers Steven Okert (3-2) and Bryan Hoeing during the second-largest inning in team history. The Brewers scored 13 runs in the fifth to beat the California Angels 20-7 on July 8, 1990.
Two-run homers by Donaldson and Yelich started and capped the scoring. Mark Canha also hit a two-run double, Carlos Santana and Blake Perkins added RBI doubles, and William Contreras, Sal Frelick and Brice Turang had run-scoring singles. In his second at-bat of the inning, Donaldson had another RBI with a groundout.
“We had great at-bats, took what was available, walks, going first to third, running the bases well and obviously a couple of big swings there,” Yelich said. “Just proud of the guys tonight and hope to keep it going.”
The only teams to clinch playoff berths with more lopsided wins were the 2001 Atlanta Braves and 1996 New York Yankees. Atlanta beat the Marlins by 17 runs, and the Yankees routed Milwaukee by 17.
Miami’s Luis Arraez was hitless in one at-bat as his major league-leading batting average stayed at .354. Arraez missed the previous two games because of a left ankle sprain and was replaced after the Brewers built the early double-digit lead.
Jon Berti homered for Miami in the eighth.
“I think everybody just wants to eat, get the hell out of here and come back (Saturday),” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “Do the best they can to flush it and try to win a game.”
Marlins opener JT Chargois was lifted after getting two outs and walking two in a bullpen game for Miami.
BLOWOUTS
The Brewers also had a lopsided win over Miami in the first game of their series in Milwaukee on Sept. 11. They scored five runs in the sixth inning of a 12-0 rout.
ODD MOUND MATCHUP
Position players Jacob Stallings of Miami and Rowdy Tellez of Milwaukee were the last pitchers used — and neither allowed a run. Stallings featured a combination of changeups and slow curves clocked under 50 mph to throw two scoreless innings. Tellez got the final three outs in the ninth to secure the postseason spot.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (right forearm flexor strain) experienced forearm tightness after his four-inning rehab outing Thursday with Triple-A Jacksonville. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is returning to Miami for evaluation.
UP NEXT
Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (5-1, 1.89 ERA) will start the middle game of the series Saturday. LHP Jesús Luzardo (10-9, 3.68) goes for the Marlins.
PODCAST: Up Next
What is Jordan Love? (0:00)
Professional Sports Bettor Dave Essler (14:48)
Sports Director Zach Heilprin (26:16)
Piling on Joe Barry (37:03)
Badgers Basketball Recruits (53:11)
Winners Take: NFL Week 3 & CFB Week 4 Free Picks
Nelson "Rowdy" Raisbeck and professional sports bettor, Dave Essler, breakdown a number of NFL and NCAA games for the upcoming football weekend. They specifically look at a number of primetime college football games and a handful from the NFL. Additionally, the guys run through the market and other games that have caught their eye.
PODCAST: Circling the Wagons
Brewers Chatter (0:00)
Rob Reischel of Forbes.com on the Packers (30:47)
Da Bears... Disaster (47:17)
Packers' David Bakhtiari feeling frustrated that his knee issues have cropped up again
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers offensive tackle David Bakhtiari was hoping he had gotten past the knee issues that resulted in three separate surgeries and impacted his past two seasons.
Now the oldest player on the NFL’s youngest team realizes that’s not the case.
Bakhtiari missed Green Bay’s 25-24 loss at Atlanta and isn’t sure yet when he will return, though the Packers’ busy upcoming schedule doesn't help matters. The Packers have their home opener Sunday against New Orleans and return to Lambeau Field four nights later to host the Detroit Lions.
“Doing better, but we’re just going to take it one day at a time,” the veteran left tackle said. “I hate to say it, but day to day. You guys hate hearing it.”
The left side of Green Bay’s offensive line figured to be one of the Packers’ biggest strengths this season, but the Packers now don’t know when they might have Bakhtiari and left guard Elgton Jenkins playing together again.
Jenkins sprained his medial collateral ligament in the Falcons game, with Royce Newman taking over for him after the injury. Rasheed Walker, a 2022 seventh-round draft pick, made his first career start in place of Bakhtiari at left tackle.
“This could be the only game I miss,” Bakhtiari said. “I don’t know. I’m just making sure I check my boxes and I’m able and ready and then when it is, great, go out and play.”
Bakhtiari, 31, has been dealing with health uncertainty ever since tearing his left ACL while in the midst of an All-Pro season on Dec. 31, 2020.
The knee injury caused Bakhtiari to play in just one game during the 2021 season. He played 11 games last season, sitting out three because of his knee and three others because of an appendectomy.
Bakhtiari talked this offseason about how grateful he felt that he finally wasn’t recovering from another surgical procedure. He played well in a season-opening 38-20 victory at Chicago, though he didn’t practice in the week leading up to that game as the Packers monitored his workload.
But at some point, the knee started acting up again. Bakhtiari and the Packers aren’t specifying exactly what happened.
“There’s only so much I want to unveil to people because I do think there’s a competitive advantage,” Bakhtiari said. “I’ve said that in the past like with health and history, but clearly there was something that started going on that we were monitoring and we were going to give up until the game time to see if it was feasible. That’s about as much as I want to say.”
Bakhtiari did want to make one thing clear, though. He is hurt. He wasn’t sitting out the Falcons game merely to avoid playing on turf.
After his good friend and former teammate Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon during the New York Jets’ season opener last week, Bakhtiari went on social media to call for all NFL stadiums to have grass surfaces.
When Bakhtiari sat out a game on Mercedes-Benz Stadium’s artificial surface less than a week after Rodgers’ injury, a segment of the Packers’ fan base wondered if he was refusing to play on turf. A social media post from Bakhtiari’s brother only added to the confusion.
Bakhtiari wants to put that idea to rest.
“I signed up to play,” Bakhtiari said. “I plan on playing. And when I can play, I’m going to play. Clearly if I’m not playing, there’s something going on. It’s not like it’s been a secret. It’s something I’ve been battling with and it’s been (difficult). It’s been weighing on me a lot. You think I don’t want to play?”
How soon — and how often — he will get to play again remains up in the air. That’s frustrating for a player who has been through this situation for nearly three years now.
There’s one difference this time around, though. After becoming a father last year, Bakhtiari now gets to come home and take his mind off his troublesome knee.
“The most refreshing thing is seeing my daughter’s face and like the no-judgment happiness, just saliva everywhere on her mouth, just drooling. I’m like, ‘She just loves (me?) Doesn’t matter what I did today. Didn’t matter how (bad) I feel.’ And that like, has been, it’s been pretty good.”
PODCAST: Grilled
Brewers & Craig Counsell (0:00)
Tailgate Wars (18:49)
Wisconsin Football & Braelon Allen (40:54)
Callers Sound Off on Tailgate Topic (1:08:29)
