Marlins add to Cravy's woes, top Brewers 9-6
PrintMilwaukee Journal Sentinel
MILWAUKEE
In recent weeks, manager Craig Counsell has talked about the opportunities being given players as his Milwaukee Brewers embark on what has the makings of a long and painful rebuilding program.
Tyler Cravy has been given one of those chances, and suffice it to say he is not taking advantage of it.
In his fifth big-league start, the rookie right-hander had his worst outing yet Tuesday night as the equally woeful Miami Marlins thumped the Brewers, 9-6, to take their second straight in the series.
Cravy and reliever David Goforth just could not get the third outs of innings without damage being done. The Marlins scored nine runs off that duo and all came with two down, with six coming across after the first two batters were retired.
In 2 2/3 innings, Cravy allowed seven hits, three walks and seven runs, though only four were earned. Over four starts since replacing struggling veteran Kyle Lohse in the rotation, he is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA, with 27 hits, 10 walks and 21 runs (18 earned) in 18 innings.
One has to wonder if Cravy (0-5, 6.67) will stay in the rotation or someone else will be given a chance. With several off-days in the schedule coming up, Counsell will have leeway to skip turns in his rotation if so desired.
Cravy has had issues of late getting through lineups the third time, but this night the Marlins got to him early and often. With one down in the first inning, Ichiro Suzuki (4 for 5) singled into the hole at short and Martin Prado was hit by a pitch.
Justin Bour flied out to left, but Cravy walked Derek Dietrich to load the bases and former Brewers prospect Cole Gillespie cleared them with a triple into the right-field corner.
The third inning became a complete debacle for Cravy and the Brewers’ defense as the Marlins scored four more times to go up, 7-0. And it all began with two outs and no one on base.
Dietrich doubled to right-center and Gillespie followed with a walk. Adeiny Hechavarria singled to center to score Dietrich, and when Logan Schafer’s throw home was wild, Gillespie also came around to score. Second baseman Elian Herrera then muffed Tomas Telis’ grounder as another run scored.
A single by pitcher Adam Conley and another by Dee Gordon plated another run, and when Suzuki collected his second hit to load the bases, Cravy was done. Goforth came on to pop up Prado, who made two outs in the inning.
Given that seven-run lead, Conley proceeded to cave in during a four-run fourth that chased him from the game. Hernan Perez singled in the first run, Herrera doubled in two more and Jean Segura’s two-out hit delivered the fourth to cut Miami’s lead to 7-4.
But the two-out runs kept coming. After two were down in the top of the fifth, the Marlins scored twice, with Suzuki and Prado singling in runs off Goforth.
With Cravy going out so early, Counsell had to chew through his bullpen, including Will Smith and Jeremy Jeffress, relievers he prefers to use when the team is leading, not trailing.
The Marlins were not content to breeze to victory, however. With Hechevarria’s second error of the game in the ninth keeping the game alive and allowing a run to score, the Brewers got the potential tying run to the plate in Adam Lind, who walked to force in another run.
That brought to the plate Herrera, who struck out against A.J. Ramos to end a very ugly game.