Logan Henderson outduels Skubal for series win

LOS ANGELES – Logan Henderson outdueled Tarik Skubal and the Milwaukee Brewers responded to their ugliest series of the year with a series win over the World Series favorites. 

Henderson pitched a career-high seven innings to lead the Brewers to a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, Aug. 16, allowing just one run and three hits, striking out six in his first outing at Dodger Stadium. 

Henderson’s changeup was spectacular as he worked through the vaunted L.A. lineup three times, culminating with a rigorous seventh to aid a taxed bullpen. 

BOX SCORE: Brewers 6, Dodgers 2

Jake Bauers tied his career-highs of four hits in a game and five times on base as he drove in or scored three of Milwaukee’s first four runs.

Four of Milwaukee’s runs came off the Dodgers bullpen, though its offense did make Skubal grind through six innings of two-run ball in the first matchup between his new team and the team that efforted more than any other in MLB to acquire him at the trade deadline. 

Henderson, one of the top names asked for by the Detroit Tigers for Skubal, has now made 17 starts in the majors without allowing more than three runs a single time. He improved to 7-2 with the win and lowered his ERA to 2.70.

Aaron Ashby takes ‘Johnny Rockets’ off the hook

Newcomer Jonathan Ornelas had to be feeling a bit anxious as Aaron Ashby trotted in from the bullpen in the eighth because the two men on base were there because of plays he didn’t make.

A grounder wide to Ornelas’ left wasn’t fielded cleanly with one out, then a liner hit right at him deflected off his glove and into right.

Ashby came through with Shohei Ohtani representing the tying run, getting a 105.9 mph grounder luckily hit right to a defender – Ornelas again – for a 4-6-3 double play.

The Brewers tacked on another pair the next half-inning when Tommy Edman bungled a David Hamilton grounder with the bases loaded, allowing Trevor Megill to sit down for a third straight day off and DL Hall to come in and finish the game off.

Logan Henderson takes it himself

Henderson’s start was nearly a carbon copy of his last one through six innings: Ahead, 2-1, and with a low pitch count through six innings asked to go back out for the seventh.

This time had a different ending. He got a couple of key insurance runs in the top half and took care of business in the bottom half, working around a leadoff walk to Andy Pages to complete seven innings for the first time since June 4, 2021 when he was pitching against Central Arizona College in the Junior College World Series.

On the 11th pitch of the at-bat against Kyle Tucker, Henderson got him to roll over a changeup that seemed ticketed for no-man’s land on the right side of the infield, but Henderson sprang off the mound to make a snowcone stop and took it to first himself.

It was Henderson’s 93rd pitch of the day and 27th of a grueling seventh inning that served the Brewers bullpen well ahead of an off-day by allowing Pat Murphy to stay away from using Aaron Ashby after he threw two innings a day before but was loosening.

Jake Bauers makes it happen in seventh

With two outs in the seventh, Bauers did what he does and made things happen for the Brewers offense to push its lead to 4-1.

With Jackson Chourio on first following his two-out knock, Bauers drove a double to left-center to score him and make it 3-1. It was his second hit off of Dodgers southpaw Alex Vesia, one of the game’s toughest left-on-left matchups out of the bullpen, in two at-bats in the series, with a game-winning single on Aug. 13 the other.

Some deft base running from Bauers made it 4-1 moments later as Andrew Vaughn demolished a single to left and Bauers slid past the tag of catcher Ben Rortvedt despite the ball beating him home.

Skubal allows two runs in six innings

The Brewers forced Skubal to make a plethora of two-out pitches to run his pitch count up but the Dodgers ace was still able to make it through six innings while throwing 109 pitches.

Skubal came out for the sixth with his pitch count at 95 and made dominant work of the bottom of the Brewers order, striking out the side to finish his day with a flourish.

Skubal allowed six hits and two walks over six with only one of the runs he allowed being earned and punching out seven.

Jake Bauers’ clutch hit makes it 2-1

A pair of two-out knocks put the Brewers ahead in the fifth.

Chourio, who hooked a homer foul in the first and drove one to the track in the second, split the right-center gap for a two-out double and Bauers delivered his third single of the day to make it 2-1.

Hanging changeup to Max Muncy is costly

The Dodgers had only put one truly good swing on Henderson through 3 ⅔ innings. Then he left a sitting duck of a changeup over the plate to Max Muncy in a 2-0 count.

The Dodgers third baseman did what you’d expect of him, clipping the pitch out to right at 101.6 mph off the bat for his 24th homer of the year to tie the game at 1-1.

Brewers make Skubal work early

A 33-pitch third saw the Brewers get a run when Skubal couldn’t command the zone and his defense let him down, though there was a chance to come away with more for the visitors.

Skubal walked a pair but had two chances to get out of it with the bases loaded, but his defense couldn’t catch a William Contreras pop foul to left and Mookie Betts and Edman couldn’t connect for a force out at second that allowed a run to score.

Chourio, for the second time in two at-bats, just missed a home run with a fly to center for the final out.

Brewers probable pitchers and schedule

Off-day Aug. 17.

Brewers vs Mariners, Aug. 18, 6:40 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Kyle Harrison (9-3, 3.47) vs. Seattle RHP Bryce Miler (4-6, 3.39). TV – Brewers.TV/FOX. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.

Brewers vs Mariners, Aug. 19, 6:40 p.m.: Milwaukee RHP Dustin May (6-7, 4.13) vs. Seattle RHP Logan Gilbert (9-7, 3.28). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.

Brewers vs Mariners, Aug. 20, 1:10 p.m.: Milwaukee LHP Robert Gasser (3-5, 4.54)vs. Seattle RHP George Kirby (8-9, 3.89). TV – Brewers.TV. Radio – AM-620 WTMJ.