Brewers close series with D-Backs with win

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MILWAUKEE - Carlos Gomez stole second base and scored on two throwing errors on the final play yesterday, to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 2-1 home win over Arizona Sunday.

Aramis Ramirez walked to start the Milwaukee ninth, and Gomez replaced him as a pinch-runner. One out later, Gomez dived into second – and he got up and ran to third, after catcher Miguel Montero’s throw went into center field. Gerardo Parra then made a wild throw past the third baseman. And Gomez was awarded home, where he stomped on the plate to give the Brewers their third win in four games. Patrick Corbin gave up the winning run and dropped to 2-4. John Axford pitched a scoreless ninth for the win. He’s 2-5. Nyjer Morgan drove in Milwaukee’s other run on a groundout. Jason Kubel tied it in the eighth with a solo homer. Brewers’ starter Yovani Gallardo gave up just three hits in six-and-two-thirds scoreless innings, with six walks and five strikeouts. Gallardo was trying to go 7-0 lifetime against the Diamondbacks, but he had to settle for a no-decision. Arizona starter Josh Collmenter retired his first nine batters before giving up a run in the fourth.

The game was delayed for 20 minutes in the second inning, due to a medical situation in the Brewers’ bullpen. The team said it involved a non-uniformed Brewers’ employee, but gave no other details. The victim was seen leaving the stadium by ambulance. The Brewers took 2-of-3 from the D-Backs.

Milwaukee stays home for a series against Miami that opens tonight. Right-hander Zack Greinke faces Marlins’ right-hander Carlos Zambrano.

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Ryan Braun leads the National League with 22 homers – but he won’t be in the All-Star Home Run Derby a week from tonight in Kansas City. National League captain Matt Kemp has chosen three first-time Derby participants to join him – Carlos Beltran of Saint Louis, Carlos Gonzalez of Colorado, and Giancarlo Stanton of Miami. Kemp was elected by the fans to start in the outfield in next week’s All-Star Game. He says he won’t play in that game due to an ongoing hamstring injury. But Kemp says he’ll take part in the Home Run Derby, saying it’s just like batting practice – which he’s taken for the last three weeks. It’s not known why Braun was left out, and whether-or-not it was his own choosing. Beltran is second in the N-L with 20 homers, two behind Braun. Stanton has 19 homers this season, and Gonzalez 17. American League captain Robinson Cano will announce his Derby participants tonight. One of them is expected to be former Brewer Prince Fielder, the NL’s captain from a year ago.

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Ben Sheets is returning to baseball. The former Brewers’ ace signed a minor league contract yesterday with the Atlanta Braves. And he’ll make his first start on Wednesday at Double-“A” Mississippi – where he’s expected to throw around 75 pitches or five innings. Sheets auditioned for five big league teams last week when he threw a five-inning simulated game at Georgia Tech. The Braves plan to evaluate Sheets after a second minor league start – but general manager Frank Wren expects him to join the Atlanta rotation in a few weeks. Sheets will be 34 on July 18th. The right-hander has not pitched a full season since 2008, when he went 13-and-9 and was an All-Star for Milwaukee. Since then, Sheets has injured his throwing elbow twice – and he underwent Tommy John surgery. Wren said Sheets would help bolster what he calls an inconsistent Atlanta starting corps. He said the Braves are not worried about his past injuries, since it’s been 22 months since he’s had surgery – and he’s had plenty of time to recover. In 2010, Sheets went 4-9 for Oakland with a four-point-five-three ERA in 119-and-a-third innings. He started for Milwaukee from 2001-through-’08, going 86-83 with 18 complete games and a three-point-seven-two ERA.

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