LOS ANGELES — The month of May can’t end soon enough for the battered Milwaukee Brewers.
No sooner did Aramis Ramirez return from a two-game absence than hot-hitting Jonathan Lucroy joined six teammates on the disabled list.
Ramirez bounced back to tie the game with a homer and single home the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of Milwaukee’s 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.
The Brewers put Lucroy on the 15-day DL with a broken right hand after the game. The catcher had a major league-leading .514 batting average with runners in scoring position.
He said he hurt his hand while reaching under the bed in his hotel room on Sunday night for a lost sock as his wife moved a suitcase that fell on Lucroy’s hand. He took some swings at Dodger Stadium before the game to test his hand and it became clear he couldn’t play. X-rays revealed the break.
“It hurts our team a lot,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “He feels really bad. Lucroy was certainly very important to what we are doing.”
Shaun Marcum (3-3) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings, struck out nine and walked two to end a two-game skid.
“I’ve never seen anything like this with all the injuries,” Marcum said, reacting to the latest blow of losing Lucroy. “It’s definitely a big loss. His leadership skills have been huge for us.”
John Axford pitched the ninth and earned his eighth save in nine chances. He put the potential tying run on first by walking pinch-hitter Ivan De Jesus Jr., who went to second on a wild pitch before Elian Herrera struck out to end the game.
Ramirez homered leading off the fourth in his return to the lineup after missing two games with a bruised left elbow.
“That was nice to come through,” he said. “A lot of guys are going down. Everybody has to contribute now. Of course we’re going to miss Lucroy.”
The Brewers took a 3-1 lead in the sixth with two unearned runs following a blown call by first base umpire Todd Tichenor. Aaron Harang was charged with an error when Tichenor ruled that his throw to first on a dribbler by Norichika Aoki pulled James Loney off the bag. TV replays clearly showed that Loney had one foot on the bag when he stretched into foul territory for the throw.
“I know I kept my foot on the bag. I was a hundred percent sure,” Loney said. “That’s the frustrating part of it. Maybe the plate umpire had a better view, and that’s what we wanted to check on.”
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly went out to urge Tichenor to appeal with home plate umpire Brian Gorman.
“It’s a play where the guy (Loney) goes across the line, and it makes it look bad,” Mattingly said. “But he was on the bag and you know it. I asked him to get help, but he wouldn’t do that. He told me he was a hundred percent sure.”
Ryan Braun walked before Ramirez singled in Aoki, giving the Brewers a 2-1 lead and chasing Harang. George Kottaras bunted into a force, putting runners at the corners, and Rickie Weeks followed with a sacrifice fly against Javy Guerra.
Harang (3-3) gave up three runs — one earned — and four hits in five-plus innings, while striking out four and walking three.
“There were at-bats where I was just missing. I was just getting too deep into counts,” he said. “They were fouling off some good pitches, and that will run your pitch count real fast. Braun’s first at-bat he fouled some good pitches off, and he laid off some others that were down and out of the zone. I was trying to get him to swing at something off the plate.”
The Dodgers’ run came on Andre Ethier’s RBI double with two outs in the first. They had the bases loaded in the third when Loney flied out to center to end the inning.
The Dodgers’ 32-16 record remains the best in the majors despite having six players on the disabled list, including four starters — although slugger Matt Kemp could return from a hamstring injury Tuesday.
“They got good pitching and that’s why they’re winning ballgames,” Ramirez said.
Notes: The Brewers will recall C Martin Maldonado from Triple-A Nashville to take Lucroy’s roster spot. RHP Mike Fiers will start Tuesday. … The Dodgers put LHP Ted Lilly on the 15-day DL with left shoulder inflammation in a move retroactive to Thursday. Before the game, they recalled LHP Michael Antonini from Triple-A Albuquerque and after the game, he was optioned back to Triple-A. Nathan Eovaldi will be recalled Tuesday from Double-A Chattanooga to start in place of Lilly. … The Brewers put 1B-OF Travis Ishikawa on the DL with a left oblique strain, retroactive to Saturday, and recalled INF Brooks Conrad from Nashville. … Braun, who beat out Kemp for the NL MVP award last season, was booed heartily. He went 0 for 2 with two walks. … Milwaukee improved to 9-15 on the road. … Herrera went 0 for 5, ending his nine-game hitting streak. … Dodgers SS Dee Gordon struck out in four at-bats.
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