SEATTLE _ Better late than never.
It took until the final inning of the final game of the Milwaukee Brewers' seven-game trip for them to take a lead but they had no complaints Sunday after scoring four times in the ninth to topple the Seattle Mariners, 7-6, at Safeco Field.
The Brewers were facing only the second 0-7 trip in club history when Keon Broxton stepped to the plate to open the ninth against Seattle right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen. Broxton blasted a homer to left, his second of the game, touching off a dramatic rally.
With one down, Hernan Perez doubled and slugger Chris Carter tied the game by blasting a 3-2 pitch out to right-center for his 29th home run of the season. When Domingo Santana followed with a single, Wilhelmsen was replaced by Vidal Nuno, who was unable to stem the tide.
After a single by Manny Pina, Scooter Gennett sent a fly to left-center that dropped between two Mariners outfielders for a RBI single that put the Brewers on top. Santana had to hold near second to see if the ball would be caught but then broke for home and scored.
A walk to Kirk Nieuwenhuis loaded the bases with one down but Jonathan Villar flied out to shallow left and Broxton went down swinging, keeping the score 7-6.
The dramatic rally prevented the Brewers from going winless on a trip of at least seven games for the second time in club history. And, until the ninth inning, they had not led even one time during the trip that began with a doubleheader sweep by Chicago on Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
How unusual was the comeback victory for the Brewers? They were 0-59 when trailing after eight innings this season.
Brewers starter Matt Garza cruised through the first two innings before the Mariners rallied for three runs in the third. Leonys Martin led off with an opposite-field double into the left-field corner and scored when No. 9 hitter Ketel Marte singled through the left side.
Former Brewers outfielder Nori Aoki hit a comebacker to Garza, who had the ball slip out of his hand for an error as he turned to throw to first. Seth Smith followed with a single to right, scoring Marte and sending Aoki to third.
Robinson Cano grounded out to first, sending home Aoki to give Seattle a 3-0 lead.
The Brewers did not collect a hit over the first three innings off lefty Ariel Miranda, making his third major-league start. That spell was broken in dramatic fashion with one down in the fourth when Broxton smacked a home run to left, dropping just over the wall for No. 5 on the season.
It did not stay 3-1 for long. The Mariners answered with their second consecutive three-run rally, sending Garza from the game. It started with singles by Chris Iannetta and Martin, and a one-out walk to Aoki.
For the second consecutive at-bat, Smith yanked a run-scoring single into right field. Cano's high chopper to second delivered his second RBI of the game and Nelson Cruz's infield hit made it 6-1, ending Garza's day.
Miranda took a one-hitter into the sixth but didn't make it through the inning. With one down, Jake Elmore singled up the middle and motored to third on Villar's double down the left-field line.
Broxton took a called third strike but Ryan Braun doubled into the left-field corner to send home both runners and end Miranda's afternoon.
