MILWAUKEE -- This was a taste of what the Brewers were missing last year.Yovani Gallardo began his comeback from a subpar season with six scoreless innings Monday, and Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez combined to create the run support needed for a 2-0 Brewers win over the Braves on Opening Day at sold-out Miller Park.Gallardo scattered four hits, walked two and struck out four to win on Opening Day for the first time in five tries. Ramirez's two-run double in the fourth inning provided the margin.The 45,691 fans on hand made up the sixth-largest crowd in Miller Park's 14 seasons, and they witnessed some history. In the third inning, Gallardo took sole possession of second place on the Brewers' all-time strikeout list. In the sixth, Braun saw his infield single converted to a groundout upon review -- the first call overturned via Major League Baseball's new system of replay. 
Braun and Ramirez, together in the Brewers' starting for the first time since last June 8, had a happier moment two innings earlier.After shortstop Jean Segura opened the fourth inning by working a walk from Braves starter Julio Teheran, Braun delivered a broken-bat single for his first hit since being suspended last July. Segura was running with the pitch and made it to third base on the play, opening second base for Braun to steal. Ramirez followed by pulling a fastball into the left-field corner for a two-run double.By then, Gallardo had eliminated his early-inning issues. He fell behind three of the four hitters he faced in the first inning and walked the Braves' leadoff hitter in the second, then retired 15 of the final 19 men he faced, including a strikeout of B.J. Upton in the third inning that pushed Gallardo into second place on the Brewers' all-time leaderboard. With another strikeout in the fifth inning, Gallardo has 1,084 strikeouts in a Brewers uniform, trailing only Ben Sheets' 1,206.Teheran lost his first Opening Day start after allowing two earned runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked only one batter and struck out two.Three Brewers relievers finished the deal. Brandon Kintzler pitched a perfect seventh inning, newcomer Will Smith worked a perfect eighth and Francisco Rodriguez -- not presumptive closer Jim Henderson -- struck out a pair of batters in the ninth for his 305th career save.Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
Braun and Ramirez, together in the Brewers' starting for the first time since last June 8, had a happier moment two innings earlier.After shortstop Jean Segura opened the fourth inning by working a walk from Braves starter Julio Teheran, Braun delivered a broken-bat single for his first hit since being suspended last July. Segura was running with the pitch and made it to third base on the play, opening second base for Braun to steal. Ramirez followed by pulling a fastball into the left-field corner for a two-run double.By then, Gallardo had eliminated his early-inning issues. He fell behind three of the four hitters he faced in the first inning and walked the Braves' leadoff hitter in the second, then retired 15 of the final 19 men he faced, including a strikeout of B.J. Upton in the third inning that pushed Gallardo into second place on the Brewers' all-time leaderboard. With another strikeout in the fifth inning, Gallardo has 1,084 strikeouts in a Brewers uniform, trailing only Ben Sheets' 1,206.Teheran lost his first Opening Day start after allowing two earned runs on seven hits in six innings. He walked only one batter and struck out two.Three Brewers relievers finished the deal. Brandon Kintzler pitched a perfect seventh inning, newcomer Will Smith worked a perfect eighth and Francisco Rodriguez -- not presumptive closer Jim Henderson -- struck out a pair of batters in the ninth for his 305th career save.Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
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