Yelich's dramatic homer undone by trouble with wall

LOS ANGELES -- Christian Yelich has been around baseball long enough to know how quickly things can change.

One moment you’re the hero.

The next, you’re not.

Days removed from being the leading vote-getter among NL outfielders in the race to start the All-Star Game, Yelich made a good week better by smashing a tying home run in the top of the eighth inning of the Brewers’ 5-3 loss to the Dodgers on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Minutes later, he was flummoxed when he reached up to catch a deep fly ball at the left-field wall and was denied because his glove clipped the padding.

So, instead of out No. 1 for a reliever, Bryan Hudson, whose own fortunes seem to have changed in a flash, it was a go-ahead home run for Dodgers pinch-hitter Miguel Vargas. His fly ball bounced off the top of the wall and over for the first of two solo home runs -- Shohei Ohtani hit the other, his NL-leading 28th -- in an inning that sent L.A. toward a series victory and a chance to sweep the Brewers on Sunday afternoon.

“I’ve got to make that play,” Yelich said. “I thought I was camped under it. … I went to reach up to catch it and didn’t think I had to jump. I caught my glove on the ledge of the wall and I got blocked. I should have just jumped.”

Hudson, a 6-foot-8 lefty who was designated for assignment by the Dodgers at the end of December, emerged as a relief ace for the Brewers as he surrendered four earned runs in his first 44 innings through the end of June. But now has been touched for four earned runs in his first 2 2/3 innings in July, with at least one run allowed in all three outings.

In suffering a blown save in Friday’s loss and then absorbing the loss on Saturday, Hudson was pitching back-to-back days for the first time since the middle of April. Also a factor is the fact he has not thrown more than 65 innings in a professional season since 2018, when he was a starter in the Cubs’ system. Hudson has already thrown 46 2/3 innings in the Brewers’ first 90 games this year.

“He’s learning himself and we’re learning him,” said Brewers manager Pat Murphy. “In some ways, I’m glad that he’s getting to go through this. This is just going to make him better -- the individual having to understand it.”

Unfortunately for the Brewers, Hudson is experiencing the first blip in what had been a smooth season while they are without another emergent lefty, Jared Koenig, who is on the injured list, and while left-hander Hoby Milner and right-hander Elvis Peguero have wobbled lately.

Add it up, and Brewers relievers are 1-3 with a 5.48 ERA in six games in July, with six home runs allowed in 23 innings.

“I trust guys to go through ups and downs,” Murphy said. “It’s really hard because you can’t work on stuff because they’re ‘up’ so much and you have to protect how much they throw. … Every player, every season, goes through ups and downs -- pitchers and hitters. Nobody’s locked down.”

It’s especially hard for a pitcher to be locked down against the Dodgers, who coaxed 104 pitches from Brewers starter Freddy Peralta in only four innings on Saturday, including 26 in a three-run first that featured L.A. catcher Will Smith’s fourth home run in as many official at-bats to start the series.

In a 39-pitch fourth, with the Brewers down a run, Peralta was in trouble when he walked Shohei Ohtani to load the bases with one out and Smith and Freddie Freeman coming up. Peralta escaped by retiring both, but it took 18 more pitches -- 11 to Smith, including the fastest fastball (99.1 mph) of Peralta’s career.

Because of that escape, and three scoreless innings from Brewers reliever Bryse Wilson in his first outing since a move back to the bullpen, Yelich’s eighth-inning homer was good to tie the game.

The Dodgers, however, were about to get an assist from the left-field wall.

Now, the Brewers need to win Sunday to avoid being swept.

“It’s two games. I mean, that’s it,” Yelich said. “You lose two in a row all the time in baseball seasons. It is what it is. Obviously, two tough losses, but you keep going. That’s all you can do.”