MILWAUKEE — Andruw Monasterio hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning after entering as a replacement for injured Joey Ortiz, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Texas Rangers 6-5 on Wednesday helped by Jake Bauers’ grand slam and Jackson Chourio’s inside-the-park homer.
Milwaukee recovered after wasting a 4-1 lead in Dallas Keuchel’s Brewers debut, and the NL Central leader swept a three-game series from the World Series champion.
With Willy Adames on second base as the automatic runner, Bauers popped out on a bunt attempt off Jacob Latz (2-3), Rhys Hoskins was intentionally walked and Sal Frelick popped out. After a wild pitch, Monasterio lined a single to left-center for his first career walk-off hit.
Monasterio entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth after Ortiz ran into the tarp while chasing a popup in the top half.
“You make the adjustment and you be ready every day, accept the challenge, you’re going to be fine,” Monasterio said.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Monasterio is “willing to do anything at any time, play any position. He’s working every day, he’s always got a smile, he has a great attitude every day. So, the team pulls for him.”
Jared Koenig (7-1) pitched around an intentional walk in the 10th.
Christian Yelich had three singles and made his 200th stolen base.
Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, was acquired from Seattle on Tuesday and allowed five runs, eight hits and a walk over four innings in his first big league appearance this year. The 36-year-old left-hander became Milwaukee’s big league-high 14th starting pitcher this season.
“I exhausted myself pretty early. I was pretty excited,” Keuchel said. “I’m hoping to get a lot more stamina back and a little bit more poise.”
Nathaniel Lowe hit an RBI single in the first, and Lowe and Jonah Heim hit homers off him in the fourth.
Bauers homered in the third off Nathan Eovaldi for a 4-1 lead, a 444-foot drive for his seventh home run this season. Lowe hit a two-run homer in the fourth, Heim connected on the next pitch to tie the score and Robbie Grossman put Texas ahead 5-4 with an RBI single.
“We lost two tough ones, came back, we scored early, we battled back, took the lead,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s what you got to do in this game.”
Chourio hit a 264-foot liner with two outs in the fourth that landed in front of diving center fielder Derek Hill and bounced to the wall near the 400-foot sign. Right fielder Adolis Garcia’s throw to Josh Smith was wide and Chourio beat the shortstop’s relay to the plate.
“As soon as I saw the ball pass him, the only thing I was thinking of was making it to home,” Chourio said through a translator. “I did think he was going to catch it.”
Chourio also made a diving catch in right field to rob Garcia of a hit in the seventh inning.
Milwaukee is a season-high 15 games over .500 at 48-33.
Eovaldi allowed five runs and a season-high nine hits in seven innings.
“We’ve got to win ballgames,” he said. “To me, it’s no longer just winning the series, we’ve got to start sweeping the series and we definitely can’t lose series like this.”
Texas has lost 16 of its last 21 road games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rangers: Hill’s contract was selected from Triple-A Round Rock and INF Ezequiel Durán was optioned to the Express. INF Justin Foscue was activated from the 60-day IL after recovering from a left oblique strain and was optioned to Round Rock. RHP Cole Winn was transferred to the 60-day IL (right shoulder sprain) and RHP Yerry Rodríguez was designated for assignment.
Brewers: C Gary Sánchez went on the 10-day IL (left calf strain). C Eric Haase’s contract was selected from Triple-A Nashville, RHP Joel Kuhnel was designated for assignment and RHP Joe Ross was transferred to the 60-day IL.
UP NEXT
Rangers: RHP Jon Gray (3-3, 3.03 ERA) starts Friday at Baltimore, which goes with RHP Corbin Burnes (8-3, 2.35).
Brewers: LHP Colin Rea (6-2, 3.62 ERA) starts a series opener Friday against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
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