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The Jr. Varsity Blog: On Their Way?

AUDIO
• Inside the Locker Room Report
• Ned Yost
• Carlos Villanueva
• Ryan Braun
• Eric Gagne

Eric Gagne has been a daily headline for the Brewers the last few days.  Last Saturday, Gagne asked out of the closer role after he blew the game.  He felt he did not deserve the closer tag with five blown saves and a 6.62 ERA.  Tuesday, Gagne reversed course and said he was ready to have ball in the ninth.  Ned Yost seemed reluctant to want to do that before the game but the request was granted in game one of a three-game set with the Dodgers.  Gagne made Yost look good at least for one night as he came on in the ninth to seal a 5-3 victory against his former team.

"I believe and I trust in my guys and Eric Gagne's my closer,"  Brewers manager Ned Yost stated.  "You know I wanted him back out there, I wanted him back in that role."

Click here to hear more about what Yost said about the win.

Gagne came out of the bullpen to a loud applause.  A much different welcome he got from Monday's game when he got a mix of boos.

"It was really a lot of help, and it helps a lot when you see that the fans stand on their feet and really cheer for you, it's really good," Gagne said.

Click here to hear more about what Gagne had to say about getting the save.

It would not be an Eric Gagne save opportunity without a little drama.  Gagne gave up a lead off single to Russell Martin.  Martin was forced out at second on Blake Dewitt's grounder.  Gagne got pinch hitter Mark Sweeney to fly out to right but he then walked pinch hitter Andrew Jones to put men on second and first with two outs.  Gagne escaped the jam as he got Juan Pierre to pop out to J.J. Hardy to end the game.  Gagne picked up his 10th save of the year.

Starter Carlos Villanueva gave up 13 runs and 19 hits in his last two starts.  He bounced back in this game with six solid innings, gave up three earned runs, scattered eight hits, struck out two and walked none.

"You can't be thinking about the negatives, the way I see it, I'm still going to get the ball the next five days," Villanueva said.  "I can't worry about what happened.  Just take the positive about the bad ones.  I took that and I executed better today.  I still got work to do but I felt a lot better today."

Click here to hear more about what Villanueva said about his performance.

Villanueva (2-4) picked up his first win since his first start of the season.

"As long as, I give the team a good place to win the game, I feel good," Villanueva explained.  "When it results in win for me, it makes just that much better.  We are playing good.  Hopefully, we can get keep it going."

One guy that has kept it going is Ryan Braun as his hitting barrage continued as he went 2-4 with a 2-RBI double and a triple. 

"I think any pitch that I'm getting that I should hit, I'm hitting," Braun felt.

Click here to hear more about what Braun had to say about the victory.

Mike Cameron was also a force at the plate as he went 2-4 with a run and a RBI.

The Dodgers got its first run in the game's opening frame.  Matt Kemp hit a two out double and Jeff Kent singled him in.  L.A. added another run in the third when Pierre reached scoring position on a Rickie Weeks throwing error.  He touched home when Kemp singled to center. 

The Brewers countered with its first run in the bottom of the inning.  Rickie Weeks may be hitting under his weight but when he gets on base it is almost a guarantee that he will cross home plate.  This game was no exception as Rickie got on with a two out single.  Cameron then smoked a line drive single down the left field line and Weeks raced in to score.

The Dodgers continued the one-run inning trend in the top of the fourth.  James Loney led off the inning with a triple to right.  He plated a run on Martin's single.  Villanueva minimized what could have been a big inning after DeWitt singled as Carlos retired Chin-lung Hu, Brad Penny, and Juan Pierre in order.

"The first couple of hitters I didn't feel really comfortable," Villanueva explained.  "From the 3rd inning on, I just got into a rhythm.  As soon as I got into my rhythm, I was able to not worry about where I'm standing, where I'm releasing the ball, just do what exactly what I wanted to do with my pitches and I felt more comfortable after that."

The Brewers got one back in the bottom of the inning when Bill Hall smacked a solo shot over the right field fence.  It could have been a two-run homer as Corey Hart doubled right before Hall.  Hart tried to steal third only to be gunned down by Martin.

The Brewers took over the lead with a three-run fifth.  Villanueva drew a lead off walk and Mike Cameron hit a two out single to keep the inning going.  Ryan Braun's bat stayed plenty hot as he whipped a double off the left field fence that cleared the bases.  Prince Fielder joined the hit parade with a RBI single to left.

Brad Penny (5-4) took the loss for the Dodgers with six innings pitched, five earned runs, nine hits and struck out six.  The Brewers are back to a game over .500 at 20-19 and the Dodgers drop to even at 19-19.  Game two will have lefty Manny Parra (1-2, 5.79 ERA) starting for the Crew and Derek Lowe (2-3, 4.43 ERA) pitching for the Dodgers.