Field Level Media
May 5, 2019
Ryan Braun's two-run single with one out in the bottom of the 18th inning Saturday night finally capped a marathon game and lifted the host Milwaukee Brewers to a 4-3 win over the New York Mets.
The Brewers have won the first two games of the three-game series from the Mets, who took the lead in the top of the 18th on Jeff McNeil's RBI single before falling below .500 (16-17) for the first time this season.
Braun's career-high sixth hit ended the longest game for the Brewers since a 10-9, 19-inning win over the Chicago White Sox on May 1, 1991. It was the Mets' longest game since a 3-1, 18-inning win over the St. Louis Cardinals on July 19, 2015.
The Brewers carried a 2-1 lead into the ninth before Pete Alonso homered on the first pitch he saw from Junior Guerra.
The teams then combined to allow just eight hits until there were two outs in the top of the 18th, when Adeiny Hechavarria -- making his Mets debut -- singled with two outs against Trevor Williams. Hechavarria then stole second and scored on McNeil's single to left.
Chris Flexen (0-2), who tossed a one-hit 17th, walked the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning before Braun laced a 2-1 pitch past a diving Alonso. That scored Eric Thames with the tying run and a sliding Yasmani Grandal with the winning run to end a game that lasted five hours and 22 minutes.
The runs in the 18th were the first for the Brewers since the third, when Lorenzo Cain delivered an RBI single and scored on Mike Moustakas' double.
Braun was the only Milwaukee player with multiple hits Saturday. His six-hit game was the first in the majors since teammate Christian Yelich went 6-for-6 against the Cincinnati Reds last Aug. 29.
The rally made a winner of Williams (1-1), who allowed the one run on three hits and walked none while striking out three over four innings. It was just the fourth regular-season relief appearance of four innings or more by a Brewer since 2017.
The Mets opened the scoring in the second, when Wilson Ramos singled with two outs and scored on Amed Rosario's triple.
McNeil had three hits, while Alonso and Hechavarria had two apiece.
Brewers starter Gio Gonzalez allowed one run on three hits and no walks while striking out seven over 5 1/3 innings. Mets starter Zack Wheeler gave up two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out 10 over seven innings.
--Field Level Media