• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Brewers down Braves, take series

Apr 7, 2011 - 10:00 PM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Nyjer Morgan scored the go-ahead run on a collision at the plate in the second inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers held on for a 4-2 victory over Atlanta in the finale of a four-game series.

The Brewers captured the final three games of the series on the heels of an 0-4 start to the season.

"Baseball's fun again. We're enjoying ourselves and playing with a lot of emotion," said Ryan Braun, who belted a two-run homer in the first inning.

Shaun Marcum (1-1) got the win, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks in six innings, striking out four.

Marcum, in his first season with the Brewers, settled down after a couple of shaky innings to start the game. He took the loss in a 4-2 decision at Cincinnati last week, where he walked five batters in just 4 2/3 innings.

"It was kind of the same thing," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said Thursday. "He settled down. He's getting it."

The Brewers used four relievers for three scoreless innings, including John Axford, who worked around a single in the ninth to record his second save.

"The bullpen was good," said Roenicke. "It's great when we can shut down the opponent like that."

Tommy Hanson (0-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings while fanning two. Martin Prado drove in both Atlanta runs with a single in the second inning.

"We haven't played good baseball here, but we ran into some good pitching," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose team will return home to play the Phillies in a three-game series this weekend.

Carlos Gomez reached on a one-out bunt single in the first inning and Braun belted a 1-1 slider to left field for his third homer of the season -- and the fourth of his career off Hanson.

Braun batted .417 in the four-game series with Atlanta, knocking in three runs. His home run was the eighth of the season for Milwaukee, but the first that wasn't a solo blast.

The Braves came back to tie it 2-2 with some small ball in the second inning.

After Freddie Freeman hit a one-out single, Matt Young walked and Hanson moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Prado's single to right knocked in both runners.

Morgan doubled with one out in the second and stole third base before coming home on George Kottaras' grounder to second baseman Dan Uggla, who was playing in and charged the ball.

Braves catcher Brian McCann didn't field the catch cleanly, and Morgan barreled into him to make it 3-2.

"I play the game hard, like I know how," said Morgan, who is in his first season with the Brewers after playing on losing teams in Pittsburgh and Washington. "I leave it on the field."

Prince Fielder knocked in the game's only other run on a fielder's choice in the seventh.

Game Notes

Braun is 6-for-15 (.400) in his career against Hanson...The Brewers won despite going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position...Milwaukee will remain at home for three games against the Cubs.