Brewers bullpen blasted for nine runs in eighth inning in rough loss to the Red Sox

Terrific all season long, the Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen imploded in spectacular fashion on Sunday afternoon.

Afforded a slim one-run lead in the eighth inning, Matt Bush surrendered consecutive home runs to Justin Turner and Masataka Yoshida to hand the advantage right back to the Boston Red Sox.

Things only got worse from there. Javy Guerra came on and eventually gave up a two-out grand slam to Yoshida, a blow that capped a nine-run frame and sealed an ugly 12-5 Brewers loss at American Family Field.

Brian Anderson's two-homer day was easily the highlight for Milwaukee, which got a spotty five-inning start out of ace Corbin Burnes six days after his injury scare in Seattle en route to dropping its second series of 2023.

BOX SCORE: Red Sox 12, Brewers 5

Brewers led in seventh inning with help from Joey Wiemer

After finally tying the game in the fifth, the Brewers took the lead in the seventh with rookie Joey Wiemer helping manufacture a run.

He drew a leadoff walk from Kaleb Ort -- one of three free passes in the inning -- stole second, advanced to third on a Blake Perkins single and scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3.

Milwaukee had a chance to tack on more with two on and one out but frittered it away when Willy Adames popped out and Rowdy Tellez grounded out.

Red Sox hit 3 home runs in eighth, including pair by Masataka Yoshida

Manager Craig Counsell handed the ball to Bush at that point, and he responded by giving up homers to Turner and Yoshida in a six-pitch span -- Turner's to left and Yoshida's to right -- as Boston grabbed the lead back at 5-4.

Bush (0-1) went on to allow a double and after a diving catch by Perkins in right walked the fifth batter of the inning before being pulled in favor of Guerra, who hadn't pitched since April 15.

The homers were the third and fourth allowed by Bush in just 7 ⅔ innings this season. Eric Lauer leads the Brewers with five allowed in 23 innings.

Guerra was greeted by a two-run single off the bat of Connor Wong, then things continued to snowball from there. Yoshida provided the coup de grace with a two-out grand slam off Guerra, who followed by finally retiring the 12th batter of the inning on a pop foul.

Yoshida, a .213 hitter coming in, finished with six runs batted in.

Red Sox had early 3-0 lead against Brewers

The loss was Milwaukee's first this season when scoring at least four runs (13-1) and when leading after seven innings (12-1).

The Brewers weren't at their sharpest from the outset as a misplay by Perkins in right field paved the way to a 1-0 deficit in the first.

Then the Red Sox loaded the bases with nobody out in the second after a leadoff walk, single and bunt single -- a play during which Tellez charged and nobody covered first base behind him.

Burnes recovered by inducing a lineout then walked Alex Verdugo to force in Boston's second run.

One batter later, Rafael Devers sent a sacrifice fly to right that made it 3-0 with Milwaukee managing to turn a double play to keep the deficit there.

Brewers starter Corbin Burnes goes five innings

Burnes retired 10 of 12 batters and didn't allow a run after Devers but finished the fifth with his pitch count at 91. Replaced heading into the sixth with Elvis Peguero making his Brewers debut, Burnes allowed five hits, three runs (two earned) and three walks with five strikeouts.

It certainly wasn't a Burnes-like line.

But, considering the uncertainty surrounding his status following Burnes's previous start, to get five innings out of him might well have been considered a bonus.

Milwaukee's offense had no luck early against pitching prospect Brayan Bello, who'd been knocked around in his only previous start against the Angels.

He worked his way around a pair of two-out walks in the first and had allowed only an infield single to Wiemer before Milwaukee finally broke through on a one-out, solo home run by Anderson in the fourth.

It was just the third homer allowed by Bello in 63⅓ major-league innings.

The Brewers finally put together some sustained offense to chase Bello in the fifth, with Wiemer leading off by doubling to left and moving up to third on a Perkins bunt.

Christian Yelich singled him in, then Jesse Winker sent Yelich to third with a hard single off Triston Casas's glove at first base. Willy Adames followed by driving a sacrifice fly to center to tie it at 3-3 and chase Bello from the game.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Boston's Masataka Yoshida hits pair of homers in 12-5 win over Brewers