|
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Lyle Overbay walked into the clubhouse and pointed toward pitcher Wily Peraltas locker. "Hes over there," the first baseman said. "You dont need to talk to anybody else." Indeed, Peralta did it all as the majors top team won again. Peralta doubled home two runs -- the first RBIs of his career -- and repeatedly escaped trouble during his eight innings on Friday night, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 2-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. "When youre able to pitch like that and youre able to swing the bat, sometimes thats what you need," Peralta said. The NL Central leaders improved the best record in the majors to 21-9 and opened a 7 1/2-game lead over Cincinnati. The Brewers are 12-3 on the road. Peralta (4-1) made his fifth quality start of the season, holding the Reds to three hits and a pair of walks while throwing 110 pitches. Francisco Rodriguez retired the three batters he faced for his 14th save in as many chances. Peralta doubled with two outs in the fifth off Mike Leake (2-3), who left his first pitch over the plate. Leake gave up seven hits and fanned five as he went eight innings for the second time this season. "Today, he was their hero," Reds catcher Brayan Pena said. "He pitched good and got the double." Right fielder Ryan Braun missed his sixth game with a sore muscle on his right side. The Brewers will decide this weekend whether hes close to returning or needs time on the disabled list. Peralta put the Brewers ahead with his 10th career hit. Overbay opened the fifth with a single and Caleb Gindl walked with one out. Jean Segura forced Gindl at second, bringing up Peralta, who had struck out in his first at-bat. He doubled to right field on the first pitch. Peralta is 10 for 72 in his career with 30 strikeouts. "He was throwing the ball well," Peralta said. "I just went up there and guessed hed throw me a fastball right down the middle, and I put a pretty good swing on it." Peralta made it stand up by escaping scoring threats in the first, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. He fanned Jay Bruce three times with runners in scoring position. Bruce also struck out in the ninth. "He had a great fastball," manager Ron Roenicke said. "His slider was outstanding. He threw a couple of changeups, not many. And his swing ... he had a great swing and we certainly needed it." Reds leadoff hitter Billy Hamilton was out of the lineup with a sore left hand, which he sprained while making a diving catch during Cincinnatis 8-3 win in the series opener Thursday night. He was available to pinch-run. Joey Votto, robbed at the top of the wall by centre fielder Carlos Gomez on Thursday night, hit a flyball that deflected off the top of the wall in left field and bounced back into play in the fourth inning. Votto wound up with a double, and the call was upheld upon review. Votto was stranded at second. "I thought it was gone," Peralta said. "Its hard for me to tell from the mound, but I thought it was a home run." The Reds put runners on second and third with two outs in the fifth when Ramon Santiago drew a walk and Segura threw wildly to first on Leakes grounder to shortstop. Peralta retired Chris Heisey on a grounder to end the inning. NOTES: Yovani Gallardo (2-0) faces Johnny Cueto (2-2) in the third game of the series. Cueto has allowed only one run in his last 30 innings. ... The Reds made it a "Star Wars" theme night. ... It was Milwaukees third shutout. The Reds were blanked for the fourth time. ... Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez extended his slump to 0 for 29. ... The Brewers put reliever Jim Henderson on the 15-day DL with a sore shoulder. Gindl was called up from Triple-A Nashville. ... Reds closer Aroldis Chapman will pitch another inning for Class-A Dayton at Lake County on Saturday, then join Triple-A Louisville to continue his rehab assignment. Hes recovering from a line drive off his forehead on March 19 and could be activated next week. . A day after FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke said three stadiums would not be ready in time for the Dec. 31 deadline, Brazilian officials said they actually plan to deliver all six remaining venues after that date. They claim only three are delayed, with the other three being handed over after the expected date only because of problems accommodating the schedule of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who wants to be present for the ceremonies. . American Lindsey Jacobellis was third, while Japans Yuka Fujimori finished just off the podium. Maltais, from Petite-Riviere-St-Francois, Que., earned bronze at the 2006 Olympic Games and is set to return to the Games this February in Sochi, Russia. .C. -- Marcus Paige and his North Carolina teammates have endured so many wild swings -- big wins, surprising losses, NCAA drama -- that no one can blame their Hall of Fame coach for wondering whats next. . -- Canada played to expectation up until halftime. . In the opener of the World Group first-round series, world No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont.CORK, Ireland -- After months of indecision over who to represent, Rory McIlroy announced Wednesday that he will play for Ireland -- not Britain -- at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The 25-year-old McIlroy, who is from Northern Ireland, was eligible to play for either Ireland or Team GB when golf makes its return to the Olympics in Brazil for the first time since 1904. Having played all of his amateur golf under the auspices of the Dublin-based Golfing Union of Ireland, the two-time major winner opted to stay with Ireland for the Olympics. "I have been thinking about the decision a lot and remembered all the times I represented Ireland as an amateur," McIlroy said on the eve of the Irish Open in Cork. "I was always very proud to put on the Irish uniform and play as an amateur and as a boy, and I would be very proud to do it again." McIlroy has twice played in golfs World Cup for Ireland, both times alongside fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell. "Just because Im getting paid to play this great game now doesnt mean I should change (team)," McIlroy said. "So Im very happy with my decision. It means I can look forward to the Olympics in a couple of years time -- you know, if I qualify, obviously, for the team. "I just thought it was the right thing to do. It was the right time to let everyone know. Now Im really looking forward to Rio in 16." McIlroy announced his decision ahead of next months International Golf Federation meeting that will finalize the eligibility criteria for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.dddddddddddd "Theres no point in delaying it and letting it linger any longer," he said. "Watching the World Cup in Brazil, thinking about Brazil in a couple of years time, it just sort of got me thinking, maybe I should just go ahead and get it out of the way." Still, McIlroy said, winning an Olympic medal would not match winning a major championship. "The majors in our sport are the biggest and best prizes in the game," he said. "But as hopefully golf grows in the Olympics and becomes, say, bigger in four or five games down the line, then it might become bigger." Citizens of Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, can hold both British and Irish citizenship. Most of the Protestant majority is British, most of its Catholic minority Irish. McIlroy, while raised a Catholic, grew up in the predominantly Protestant town of Holywood east of Belfast and once said he considered himself more British than Irish. His 2012 comments -- suggesting he might prefer to join the British team -- provoked strong ill feelings from Irish golf fans. McIlroy initially said he might skip Rio entirely to avoid alienating fans further. Two other top Northern Ireland golfers, Darren Clarke and McDowell, are Protestants who have identified with Ireland. ' ' ' way to win. ' ' '
|
