Brewers bash Phils again

• Starter Hernandez struggled in the first inning
• Braun's two-run triple secured Milwaukee's win in the eighth

PHILADELPHIA – Ryan Braun, booed mercilessly after belting three home runs the day before, said he wasn't taunting the crowd when he gestured with his index fingers after a two-run triple to deep center field in the eighth inning helped propel the Milwaukee Brewers to a 9-4 victory against the Phillies on Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

"No. It was to the dugout," Braun said. "We always do that when we get big hits. C'mon. We've done that forever. We just haven't had an opportunity to play too many good games, close games, exciting games."

While the score may have been close for a while, the game certainly wasn't good.

Or particularly exciting, at least from the Phils' perspective.

Mark Reynolds received a walk from Antonio Bastardo to begin the decisive eighth, stole second, advanced to third on sacrifice bunt by Scooter Gennett and scored the go-ahead run on a fielding error by Ryan Howard, who misplayed a line drive by Logan Schafer. It was Philadelphia's second error of the night and sixth in three games.

The Phillies have committed nine errors through eight games, tops in the National League, and allowed 10 unearned runs in their last three.

"We definitely have to tighten that up," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I don't know what to say about it. We work at it. We talk about it. Some of the plays are routine, and we have to make the routine plays."

Rather than limiting the damage, Bastardo drilled Jean Segura with a pitch, setting the stage for Braun's two-run triple, his only hit of the night. Bastardo declined to comment after the game. Justin DeFratus finished the job, serving up a two-run homer to Reynolds in the ninth.

The Brewers can sweep the Phillies' home-opening series today.

"Sometimes offenses go through this. They just click," Reynolds said. "Guys are getting the big hits. Scooter had a nice bunt. [Carlos Gomez] hit a ball that was about eight inches inside out of the ballpark. You just go through these streaks where it's fun to be a part of and it's tough to get us out."

The bullpen's implosion followed a laborious starting performance by Roberto Hernandez, who scuffled early but managed to strike out nine through five innings and leave with the score tied 4-4.

Hernandez gave up two runs on 29 pitches in a 38-minute first inning that was as ugly as it was long, and had thrown 50 pitches before the end of the second, with the score tied 3-all and an hour having elapsed since his initial offering.

The nine strikeouts were the second-most in his career. Hernandez threw 104 pitches in all, while allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits and a walk.

"They're a fastball hitting team," Sandberg said. "They're very aggressive. … Hernandez was effective with mixing up early breaking pitches, when he pitched well."

Gomez blasted a solo home run and raced around the bases like a man on fire to give the Brewers a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning. But Carlos Ruiz hit a leadoff double to begin the fifth, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on a base hit by Marlon Byrd.

Milwaukee scored twice in the first inning, thanks to an RBI-single by Aramis Ramirez and a fielding error by Jimmy Rollins. But it could have been worse. A wild pitch allowed runners to advance to second and third before Reynolds struck out to end the inning.

The Phillies climbed into the lead in the bottom of the first. After Ruiz doubled to right-center to put runners in scoring position with one out, the Phils scored their first run courtesy of a Matt Garza balk and another on an error by Gennett, who scooped a Byrd grounder only to throw it away. The Phils took a 3-2 lead when Domonic Brown batted into a fielder's choice.

Ben Revere received a standing ovation from the announced crowd of 31,168 after an incredible diving catch in center in the second inning, but couldn't repeat the feat minutes later, when Segura's double landed in shallow center and scored Gomez from second base to knot the score at 3-all.

Garza lasted six innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits, two walks, a wild pitch and the balk. He struck out four.

The Milwaukee bullpen combined to allow no runs on one hit in three innings of relief. Tyler Thornburg earned the victory with two scoreless, hitless innings and Jim Henderson allowed a hit and a walk in the ninth, but struck out two.

The Phillies' bullpen wasn't nearly as effective.

"Bastardo had a tough eighth, with a leadoff walk and then an error for the go-ahead run, and a triple scoring two runs," Sandberg said. "And DeFratus struggled there in the ninth inning. … Leadoff walks are sometimes tough. A lot of times they circle the bases."

Contact Jason Wolf at jwolf@delawareonline.com