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Mench powers Brewers past Dodgers

Apr 4, 2007 - 6:27 AM MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers' left field platoon idea worked against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Kevin Mench hit a two-run homer and the bullpen pitched four shutout innings to lift the Brewers to a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers.

Milwaukee decided this offseason that Mench and Geoff Jenkins would platoon in left field despite the fact that both have been everyday players their entire careers. With lefthanded Randy Wolf (0-1) on the mound, Mench got the start and did not waste his opportunity, hitting a two-run blast in the sixth inning to provide the winning margin.

"I was just looking for something to drive," Mench said. "He had been throwing a lot of curveballs tonight, trying to get guys to top it. I think he threw a cutter. I put a good swing on it. I didn't think it was going to get up; I thought it was going to hit the fence. The crowd's reaction, that's what I went by."

Mench is a lifetime .303 hitter vs. lefties and Jenkins has batted .292 vs. righthanders.

"We all want to play and we're going to jump at every opportunity we get to make the most of it," Mench said. "If it requires us to pinch hit here or there, that's our job and we're going to do it. Who knows where it will carry us? We just have to keep doing the little things."

Jenkins had a key two-run double in the Brewers' 7-1 Opening Day win on Monday.

"They're both exceptional players and they are both successful - (Jenkins) against righthanders and Mench against lefthanders," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "You put those guys out there and you're going to have some pretty good numbers from the left field position."

Just prior to Mench's home run, Brewers catcher Johnny Estrada, not known for his speed, beat out an infield single to short, his second hit of the game.

"That was huge right there," Yost said. "He had another big night, two runs scored and he handled the pitchers very, very well again tonight, but that was huge to be able to beat that out."

Neither starter looked sharp, with Milwaukee starter Chris Capuano throwing 95 pitches in just five innings, surrendering three runs and five hits. The veteran lefthander walked two and struck out six.

"I didn't have great command today," Capuano said. "I was lucky the team played so well. I didn't feel good, I thought it was a bad outing, but if I can keep the bad outings to that, I'll be happy this year."

Reliever Brian Shouse (1-0) got the win by recording the last out in the sixth and Matt Wise, Derrick Turnbow each turned in a hitless inning of relief. Francisco Cordero struck out two in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save.

"That was the plan, trying to get through the sixth," Yost said. "Shouse came in and got a big out and got us out of that inning. Wise, Turnbow and Cordero shut it down from there."

Second-year first baseman Prince Fielder hit an opposite field blast into the Brewers' bullpen off Wolf in the third inning for his first homer of the season.

Wolf allowed seven hits and four runs with five strikeouts in his first start with the Dodgers. Wolf, who missed much of the last two seasons with injuries, had his nine-game winning streak end. He last loss on May 4, 2005.

"Randy was good today," Dodgers manager Grady Little said. "He kept the game tight. He's going to compete and keep you in ball games, just like he did tonight."

"It's frustrating at the end," Wolf said. "I made a crucial mistake and it cost us the game. Those are the tough ones to swallow. It was bad location. I was trying to get a slider in on him, and I left it over the plate. It was a mistake and he took advantage of it."

Russell Martin homered and drove in two runs and Nomar Garciaparra doubled home a run for the Dodgers.