Brewers 5, Diamondbacks 1: Peralta sends Milwaukee into the break on a high note

Win: Wily Peralta (7-9)
Loss: Ian Kennedy (3-6)

HR: Schafer (2), Montero (5)

MVP: Wily Peralta (.222 WPA)
LVP: Juan Francisco (-.073 WPA)

Fangraphs Win Expectancy Graph

Boxscore

Hello, All-Star week.

After 20 consecutive days of baseball and losing four straight games heading into Sunday, it will be nice for the team to get a break for a few days to rest up and refresh for the unofficial second half of the season. I'm sure the break feels even better now that the team gets to go into it fresh off a win.

Wily Peralta had another excellent game and over his past five outings is showing why he was the Brewers top pitching prospect. He went seven innings today, allowing just one run on seven hits and two walks. In addition, he finally had a nice strikeout game, sitting down a career high eight batters. Over his past five starts he now has a 1.08 ERA.

Peralta has really shown that he is more comfortable with Martin Maldonado, who caught today's game, behind the plate. Whether it's the fact that they both speak spanish or something else, Peralta entered today with a 3.56 career ERA when Maldonado is behind the dish. That number will get even lower after today, of course. When Jonathan Lucroy catches Peralta, he has a 6.38 career ERA.

The Brewers' offense gave Peralta some run support early today, scoring four runs in the first two innings despite about as bad of a Sunday lineup as you could imagine the team putting out. In fact, the team started out the game with four straight singles that brought in two runs, then getting an RBI groundout from Martin Maldonado later on in the first frame.

Two singles and two sacrifice bunts (2013 Brewers baseball!) would bring in another run in the second, giving Milwaukee a 4-0 lead. Both teams would lead off their half of the fifth inning with solo home runs, first by Logan Schafer, then by Miguel Montero. Those home runs were the only extra base hits all game.

That would be it for the scoring as Wily Peralta pitched two more strong innings, then saw Michael Gonzalez, Jim Henderson, and Francisco Rodriguez keep the Arizona bats quiet for the remaining two frames.

Jean Segura and Logan Schafer were the offensive stars today. Segura reached in all four of his plate appearances with three singles and a walk. He also scored a run. Schafer went 2-3 with a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored.

The Brewers will take a nice break before beginning a series with the Marlins on the 19th.