Aoki wins on walk-off homer for Brewers

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MILWAUKEE - Norichika Aoki hit a lead-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning this afternoon, to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park this afternoon.

Aoki lined a 2-0 pitch just over the picnic area in right field off Cubs’ reliever Casey Coleman, who lost his first decision of the year. It was Aoki’s second homer of the game. His first blast opened the scoring to lead the Brewer fourth. Milwaukee made it 2-nothing in the sixth on a run-scoring single by George Kottaras. In the seventh, Koyie Hill doubled home Chicago’s first run. Pinch-hitter Brian LaHair gave the Cubs a 3-2 lead in the eighth with a two-run homer to right-center. And the Brewers tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out ground-rule double by Corey Hart.

John Axford shut out the Cubs in the ninth-and-10th, and he got the win to go 1-and-2 on the year. Milwaukee starter Randy Wolf went six-and-two-thirds innings, giving up a run on four hits with a pair of walks and six strikeouts. Francisco Rodriguez gave up LaHair’s blast, and was on the hook for the loss until Milwaukee tied things up in the bottom of the frame. Cubs’ starter Matt Garza gave up two runs in six innings on just three hits and a pair of walks. He also had six K’s.

The Brewers took two-of-three from the Cubs in their series, and Milwaukee improved to 7-3 over the Cubbies so far this year. Chicago has now lost six of its last seven, while the Brewers have moved to within six games of division-leading Cincinnati in the NL Central. Milwaukee stays home this weekend, and will open a three-game series against San Diego tomorrow night.

Tags: wisconsin sports, proam, baseball, brewers