Nilsson Powers Brewers Past Mariners
When baseball’s strike finally ended this spring, Dave Nilsson thought he might have to spend the entire season in his sickbed instead of being with the Milwaukee Brewers.
He was that ill.
“For me personally, it’s been a bit of a down period,” Nilsson said Wednesday night after hitting a home run and getting four RBIs in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Nilsson has four home runs and 22 RBIs in 28 games this season. He missed two months because of a rare disease, Ross River Fever, that he got when bitten by a mosquito in his native Australia. He’s unable to catch this season because of his illness.
“I’m glad, I’m grateful,” he said. “I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to play at all again this year.”
“He’s swinging the bat good and he’s doing a good job for us,” Milwaukee manager Phil Garner said. “He can’t catch because I’m not letting him catch.”
Brian Givens (2-2) pitched five-hit ball for 7-2/3 innings. He gave up Chris Widger’s first major league home run with one out in the second inning, then retired 18 straight batters.
Givens walked none and struck out five. Mike Fetters pitched the ninth for his 14th save, working around a leadoff single by Edgar Martinez.
Nilsson hit a two-run single in the first inning against Salomon Torres (3-6). Widger hit a solo homer in the second that put Seattle ahead 3-2, but Nilsson hit a two-run homer off Torres in the third.
“I feel like I’m right at the end of spring training,” Nilsson said. “I feel good, but I feel good inconsistently.”
In eight innings, Torres gave up eight hits, walked one and struck out three.
“I should have kept the lead at 3-2, but, unfortunately, it didn’t happen,” Torres said.
Mike Blowers hit a two-run double in the Seattle first. Blowers said Givens surprised the Mariners.
“He doesn’t overpower you, but he makes you put it in play,” Blowers said.
Givens, a 29-year-old rookie left-hander who has had five elbow operations, signed with the Brewers as a free agent Oct. 31 to be a replacement player during the strike.
“At the time, that’s what I had to do,” Givens said. “I regret it now, but at the time I did it to take care of my family.”
Notes
Nilsson was one RBI shy of his career high, set on July 17 against Oakland. In a three-game series with Seattle, he was 4 for 9 with six RBIs. … The Brewers signed Givens as a six-year free agent on Halloween after he compiled a 42-59 record in 11 seasons in the minor leagues. … Greg Vaughn was 0 for 3 and hit into a double play, making him 2 for 23 on Milwaukee’s six-game road trip. … The Mariners are down 292,920 fans for 41 home dates compared to last season, a drop of 29 percent in their attendance. … Fetters recorded his 19th consecutive save over two seasons. His last blown save was July 22, 1994, against Minnesota.