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| dwm photo 8/3/2018 |
What is a Wisconsin sports fan to do?
I spent the night with two screens - the Packers on my Kindle streaming ESPN and the Brewers on TV.
For the Pack this game was supposed to be a "get better" game. It didn't feel like it as San Francisco marched down the field after the opening kick for a 7 - 0 lead.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers responded 4 plays later when he found Ty Montgomery for the tying score.
The Niners fumbled on their kick return, but Green Bay could only turn it into a Mason Crosby field goal. Green Bay's defense held on the next possession. A long pass from Aaron Rodgers to Jimmie Graham was the key play on a quick drive to a 17 - 7 lead.
Then San Francisco announced its presence with a 67 yard bomb. On their next possession, the Pack forced another fumble, but could only get another field goal for a six point lead.
San Francisco scored twice in the final 7:34 to lead 24 - 20 at halftime.
While the offense looked better than they did in Detroit, the game wasn't going well.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles it seemed the nattering nabobs of negativism were preaching impending doom for the plucky kids from Milwaukee.
After a Christian Yelich walked, Ryan Braun knocked him in with a double for a 1 - 0 lead. Jhoulys Chacin was the Brewer starter and pitched masterfully. Milwaukee added a second run after Travis Shaw tripled in the 6th inning and scored on a Dodger wild pitch. In the seventh, 38 year old catcher Eric Kratz doubled and scored on an Orlando Arcia home run.
The winning formula for the Brewers is getting a lead to hand over to the bullpen. It didn't work in game 2 as the Dodgers came from behind to win. In game three, it got Milwaukee a four run lead needing to get six Dodger outs.
The way the Championship Series is set up, Milwaukee has three road games in L.A. before they can play another game in Miller Park. To get there, they needed at least one win in California.
On my small screen, Green Bay's 65th Monday Night Football game was tighter than experts predicted with the score 27 - 23 49ers with 18:20 minutes left.
One more field goal by SF and a missed opportunity by Green Bay at the 49'er 4 when they turned it over on downs.
Hearts started racing in the bottom of the ninth as Brewer closer Jeremy Jeffress loaded the bases before striking out the last two batters to preserve the 4 - 0 lead... in Green Bay it was up to Aaron Rodgers to tie things up.
Two minutes left, third down and six yard to go at the 49'er 20.
On the first play out of the two minute warning, Rodgers lofted a pass to DaVante Adams in the end zone. Mason Crosby ties it with the point after at 30 - 30.
A stupid penalty on the kick return puts San Francisco near midfield. Dumb penalties have killed Green Bay this year. Then on third down, second year corner back Kevin King picked off the Niner QB for the 3rd turnover of the game.
Rodgers starts 90 yards away with just over a minute to play needing a score to win. Remarkably, he moved it downfield, got a break on a 49'er penalty, then found DaVante Adams and rookie Equanimious St. Brown to reach the San Francisco 9 with three seconds left.
Mason Crosby - who set a career worst record against Detroit last week with five missed kick attempts - redeemed himself by hitting the winning field goal. He was perfect on the night.
Green Bay's defense looked horrible much of the night, but got the stops they needed at the end of the game.
It was an exciting Wisconsin double-dip. The Brewers take a lead in the NLCS, 2 games to 1 and Green Bay goes into their bye with a much-needed win. The victory also evened the Packers Monday Nigh record at 32 - 32 - 1.
Whew. I'm tired.
Go Pack, Go and Go Brewers!
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