Sanchez homers in 14th, Brewers lose to Giants 4-3

MILWAUKEE (AP) — One day after their best offensive performance of the season, the Milwaukee Brewers looked lost at the plate again. This time, it dragged late into the night.

Juan Perez gave up a lead-off home run to backup catcher Hector Sanchez in the 14th inning Monday, May 21st, and the Brewers were beaten by the San Francisco Giants 4-3.

Milwaukee looked nothing like the team that scored 16 runs in a victory over Minnesota on Sunday -- a game the Brewers hoped could be something of a turning point for a struggling offense.

"We play that many innings, we end up with six hits — yeah, it's discouraging," manager Ron Roenicke said. "It's frustrating for the guys. They don't like it any better than I do. We've got to start swinging the bat."

At least the Brewers appear to have avoided what could have been a much bigger loss. Ryan Braun left the game because of tightness in his right groin after grounding out to end the 10th, but said after the game that the injury was similar to one he had in spring training and he didn't seem overly concerned.

"It's not as bad as it was then, so it's not too serious," Braun said.

Braun tied the game with a two-run homer in the eighth, his 12th of the season. But the Brewers couldn't muster much offense after that.

"It's just frustrating that we can't really put together a good streak," Braun said. "We had a great game yesterday. If we would have found a way to win today, we would have been feeling really good about ourselves. So we're just constantly trying to find a way to get going where we're playing good baseball for more than a game or two."

Santiago Casilla (1-2) pitched the final two innings for the win. He allowed a single to Taylor Green with two outs in the 14th but got Corey Hart to fly out to end the game.

The Brewers had a chance to win in the 12th when Hart walked with two outs. The Giants brought in reliever Javier Lopez, who walked Norichika Aoki. That brought up Nyjer Morgan, who grounded out to end the inning.

Madison Bumgarner gave up three runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings for the Giants, with a season-high 10 strikeouts. Coming in, Bumgarner had allowed only four runs in four career outings against Milwaukee.

"He's good, man," Braun said. "He's been one of the best pitchers, I think, in the National League since he's been in the big leagues."

Roenicke started Hart at first base, a move the team thought about making in the offseason before Hart hurt his knee and missed most of spring training.

Milwaukee starter Randy Wolf gave up five hits and three runs in seven innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.

Wolf labored early on, throwing 70 pitches in the first three innings. But he settled down after that, allowing only a single in the next four innings.

Wolf was coming off a four-inning outing in a May 16 loss at Houston. He gave up seven runs in that game, six earned.

The left-hander issued back-to-back walks with one out in the first and Buster Posey made him pay for it by pounding a 2-1 pitch to left for his fifth homer and a 3-0 lead.

"That was what won the game for us tonight, a couple of home runs — something we've been missing," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Brewers loaded the bases with one out in the second, but Bumgarner got Cesar Izturis to ground into a double play.

Bumgarner cruised through the next three innings, allowing only a single, and then got a pair of groundouts to start the sixth before Braun reached on an infield hit. Aramis Ramirez doubled to right field, scoring Braun and cutting the lead to 3-1.

Melky Cabrera hit a one-out triple off Brewers reliever Francisco Rodriguez in the seventh, and Rodriguez walked Posey. Brett Pill hit a grounder to third, and Ramirez threw out Cabrera at the plate. Rodriguez then struck out Joaquin Arias to end the inning.

Aoki reached in the eighth on a fielding error by shortstop Brandon Crawford — a fairly routine play that could have ended the inning — bringing up Braun with two outs. Braun smacked a pitch from Bumgarner to left, tying the game.

NOTES: Roenicke rested catcher Jonathan Lucroy even though he had two homers and seven RBIs in Sunday's victory over Minnesota. George Kottaras typically catches when Wolf starts. Lucroy pinch-hit in the ninth and flied out to end the inning. Giants RHP Matt Cain (3-2, 2.67 ERA) faces RHP Shaun Marcum (2-2, 3.31) in the second game of the series Tuesday. Attendance was 31,644.