About the Project » The high-five at the plate from Brandon Woodruff

MILWAUKEE (AP) — nearly took out Lorenzo Cain.It’s not often that reliever hits a home run.Batting left-handed. Off lefty Clayton Kershaw. In the playoffs.Woodruff stunned the ace with an early home run and Milwaukee’s normally shutdown bullpen held on — barely — as the Brewers beat the sloppy Los Angeles Dodgers 6-5 Friday night in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series.Hard-throwing Josh Hader and the Brewers earned their 12th straight win http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , one shy of the franchise record set to open the 1987 season.Woodruff, of all people, had the momentum-swinging hit.“It’s something obviously coming into the day, you don’t know in your wildest dreams that’s going to happen,” he said.It was the first time in postseason history that a pitcher homered in a lefty vs. lefty matchup. Woodruff was understandably was pumped as he rounded the bases.“He was fired up when he came home. He nearly broke my arm,” Cain said.The Dodgers scored three times in the eighth to make it 6-4, then nearly tied it in the ninth. Chris Taylor hit an RBI triple off Cain’s glove in deep center field with two outs before Corey Knebel fanned Justin Turner to end it.Game 2 is Saturday at Miller Park, with Wade Miley pitching for the Brewers against Hyun-Jin Ryu.The Dodgers did some damage against the Brewers’ bullpen. Milwaukee used seven pitchers, including three scoreless innings from Hader. Woodruff threw two perfect innings and got the win.“But for us to get a look at these guys out of the ‘pen in a seven-game series, I think that’s a good thing,” manager Dave Roberts said.Manny Machado homered and drove in three runs for Los Angeles. The Dodgers committed four errors, including two by catcher Yasmani Grandal, who also had two passed balls.NERVOUS MOMENTSMilwaukee manager Craig Counsell’s pitching-by-committee strategy continued to be a hit, at least until the late innings.Finally, the hard-throwing Knebel restored order by striking out Turner. Knebel walked Joc Pederson with two outs before Taylor’s long drive.“It’s the postseason and anything can happen, you saw right there. It was a good feeling for it to go our way right there at the end Adeiny Hechavarria Jersey ,” Knebel said.STUNNING HOMERAfter starter Gio Gonzalez went two innings, nicked by Machado’s home run, Woodruff entered in the top of the third. In the bottom half, Woodruff made a sudden impact — with his bat.Woodruff became just the third relief pitcher to homer in the postseason, tagging a three-time NL Cy Young Award winner for a tying solo drive. Woodruff pumped both arms as he rounded first base, while Kershaw turned away and looked down at the ground.“I knew he could swing the bat a little bit, for sure,” Kershaw said. “I didn’t know he could do that, but I knew he could hit a little bit.”Woodruff was a career 4 for 22 (.222) hitter before connecting. He had one previous homer, in July against Pittsburgh’s Nick Kingham.DODGER BLUESKershaw was chased before he could retire a batter in the fourth inning.It was another miserable October night for the lefty, whose regular-season brilliance has often disappeared in the postseason.And it wasn’t even Christian Yelich and the Brewers’ stars who got to him. Hernan Perez hit a sacrifice fly later in the third, and pinch-hitter Domingo Santana had a two-run single in the fourth for a 4-1 lead that chased Kershaw from the mound with nobody out.It was the shortest postseason start of Kershaw’s career. He had a 4.65 ERA in 10 career appearances, including seven starts, going into Friday.That ERA went up after allowing six hits and five runs — four earned — in three-plus innings.“The errors affected the game. But as far as Clayton, I just think it was poor execution,” Roberts said.Jesus Aguilar added a solo home run in the seventh for the Brewers Sergio Romo Jersey , his second of the postseason. Cain went 3 for 5 and scored a run.BURGER TIMEEat up, Milwaukee.This late-season run earned Brewers fans a free burger at an area restaurant chain.George Webb Restaurants has a long-standing promotion to give away a free burger whenever the Brewers win 12 straight.It’s time to dine after a dozen.Save the date: October 18, George Webb announced after the game . Save one for reliever Jeremy Jeffress, too.“Honestly, as long as you put some mayo on it I’m good with it,” he said.George Webb also paid up in 1987.UP NEXTIt’s another all left-handed pitching matchup in Game 2. Ryu pitched seven shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing for hits, in the Dodgers’ Game 1 victory over the Braves in the Division Series. Ryu is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in four career postseason starts. Miley is making his second start of the postseason, going 4 2/3 innings in the Brewers’ Division Series-clinching victory over Colorado on Sunday. He is 4-5 with a 3.55 ERA in 15 career games against the Dodgers. NEW YORK (AP) — Fired up from his first pitch to his last, J.A. Happ gave the New York Yankees a great getaway.Happ and four relievers combined on a two-hitter, Cameron Maybin contributed with his bat and glove, and the Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 3-1 Thursday night.“He was pretty intense throughout that game,” manager Aaron Boone said about his starter.Article continues below ...The Yankees won for the fourth time in five games. They now head to Tampa Bay to play the AL East-leading Rays for the first time this year.Knocked around by Minnesota in his previous outing, Happ was in charge, allowing one single while pitching into the sixth inning.“I think I just held some frustration from that last start,” he said.Domingo Santana homered with two outs in the ninth for Seattle http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , which has dropped nine of 11.The Mariners also are facing a series of injury problems involving Dee Gordon, Edwin Encarnacion and Dylan Moore.Gordon exited early after being hit on the right wrist by Happ’s pitch. The leadoff man shouted while leaving the field, cursed postgame while explaining what happened and wasn’t sure if he’d miss any time.“It’s the second time he threw up and by my head. So, you got to get the ball down. If you can’t throw that pitch, don’t throw it. I got a family,” Gordon said.Moore, also nursing a sore wrist after being hit by a pitch Wednesday, took over for Gordon at second base. But Moore needed to leave when the injury acted up.With the Mariners running out of options, Encarnacion shifted from first base to second in the eighth. Playing the position for the first time in his career, the slugger hurt his left wrist diving for DJ LeMahieu’s leadoff grounder.Checked by a trainer, Encarnacion stayed in the game.“I’m thinking, what else can go wrong? I was thinking, hopefully he’s OK,” Moore said. “Obviously, you don’t want anyone else to get hurt. It’s one of those things where everyone’s got to do the best they can.”Said manager Scott Servias: “We may need to get some extra help … and see what we do roster-wise.”Maybin flared a two-out RBI double in the second and made a sliding catch on Ryon Healy’s fly to right to begin the seventh.Gio Urshela added a two-run single in the eighth, an inning after entering for defense.Happ (2-3) gave up a single by Tom Murphy in the fifth and struck out seven. The lefty has been hurt by homers http://www.raysfanproshop.com/authentic-evan-longoria-jersey , particularly in the Bronx, but shut down the club that leads the majors in long balls.Moore drew a leadoff walk in the sixth — curiously, he bluffed a bunt on a 3-2 pitch that was borderline high. That finished Happ and he chirped at plate umpire Ed Hickox as he walked off, showing how Moore squared around.Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle and Zack Britton each threw a scoreless inning. Aroldis Chapman got his eighth save in nine chances.Mike Leake (2-4) allowed six hits in seven effective innings.WELCOME BACKYankees RHP Danny Farquhar is scheduled to pitch Friday for the first time at extended spring training. The 32-year-old reliever collapsed in the Chicago White Sox dugout in April 2018 because of a ruptured aneurysm and brain hemorrhage. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in the offseason and pitched three times in spring training, allowing six runs and five walks in two innings. He’s been building shoulder strength at the team’s complex in Tampa, Florida.WELCOMEThe Yankees signed LHP Nestor Cortes Jr. to a major league contract and selected him to the 25-man roster. The 24-year-old Cuban made his debut last year with Baltimore. RHP Dellin Betances (shoulder impingement) was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL.TRAINER’S ROOMYankees: OF Aaron Hicks (back strain) is expected to rejoin the Yankees on Monday. He’ll play Triple-A games this weekend. … SS Didi Gregorius plans on starting live batting practice next week and remains on target to DH in an extended spring training game around May 20. “It’s a slow process. Can’t wait to get going,” he said in Florida.UP NEXTMariners: Servais will miss the first two games of Seattle’s weekend series in Boston to attend his daughter’s college graduation. RHP Erik Swanson (1-3, 4.94 ERA) starts the opener at Fenway Park.Yankees: RHP Domingo German (6-1, 2.35) faces Rays RHP Tyler Glasnow (6-0, 1.47) — they’re among the pitchers tied for the major league lead in wins. The Yankees take a depleted lineup into Tropicana Field. Assessing the matchup, Boone said, “I don’t really see it as where we stack up.”