Michael Morse was crucial for the victory of the Nationals
After missing the first 50 games of the major-league season, Michael Morse is making up for lost time.
The Nationals outfielder earned the game-changing moment of the week for his 4-RBI performance in an 11-9 come-from-behind win over the Brewers.
In the “boxing match” game, the Washington Nationals scored 4 runs in the eighth inning to tie it 7-7. The Milwaukee Brewers answered back in the base of the inning with 2 runs of their own on back-to-back home runs. Beleaguered Brewers closer John Axford came in to pitch the 9th. With one out and a runner on 1st, Morse came to the plate and did this:
His 8th home run of the season tied the game 9-9 and sent it to extra innings. Axford, who saved 46 games for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, blew his 7th save of the season.
But Morse wasn’t finished. In the 11th inning, Bryce Harper drew a leadoff walk and Ryan Zimmerman singled. One out later on Morse doubled down the left-field line to give the Nationals an 11-9 lead they wouldn’t surrender.
“It seemed like it had been a boxing match,” Morse said. “It kept going back and forth, forwards and backwards. We just hung in there and came through on top.
“It’s insane because you never can tell what this game has in store till the last out. We fought and kept fighting and they kept fighting, as well. It was a great game.”
Morse has 32 RBIs in 51 games since returning from the disabled list (he was out with a lat injury), and his average went over the .300 mark Sunday to .303. The 1st-place Nationals expected big things from the slugger after he took a star turn in 2011 and hit 31 home runs and drove in 95 runs.
The Nationals improved to a league-best 61-40 on the season and have a 4-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. The Brewers, meanwhile, lost for the 9th time in 10 games and their bullpen has taken a lot of the blame. Discount Vig Betting
“It’s just the way it’s going with the bullpen,” Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke recounted. On Monday, the Brewers fired bullpen coach Stan Kyles.
In spite of one embarrassing blunder, Carlos Gomez had a week to remember. The Brewers center fielder batted .346 last week with 10 RBIs, 10 runs, four home runs and one pretend home run.
On Wed., Gomez thought he led off the game against the Phillies with a home run. Gomez ran the bases even after the ball had been called foul. A red-faced Gomez struck out on the next pitch.
But perhaps he used it as a motivation. After that at-bat Gomez connected on 6 more hits over the next 5 games, including 2 precise home runs and 6 RBIs. MLB betting odds.
Morse finished the 2011 season with a .303 average, 31 home runs, and 95 RBI; he was in the top 10 in the NL in all 3 categories. He was 4th in the league in slugging percentage (.550), behind Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, and Prince Fielder