Diamondbacks thump Brewers, 11-6

WP: Silvino Bracho (1-0); LP: Aaron Wilkerson (0-1); Save: none; Home runs: Ari - Jake Lamb (2); Steven Sousa (1); Rey Fuentes (3); Mil - Manny Pina 2 (2); Travis Shaw (3)

Box Score

The Arizona D’Backs were a play-off team last year, and they have the hitting to repeat that finish in 2018. Today they collected 13 hits, 6 of them for extra bases (3 doubles and 3 home runs). 6 of those 13 hits - a double and a homer included, with a couple of walks tossed in - helped Arizona produce seven runs in the sixth inning. That erased a 6-4 Milwaukee Brewer lead and finished scoring for the day in an 11-6 D’Backs win.

The loss drops the Brewers to 8-5-1 while Arizona now sits at 7-7.

Milwaukee did some hitting of their own, with a dozen knocks resulting in six runs. Most of the damage was done by Manny Pina, who had himself a day. Pina launched two homers and a single in his three at bats, driving in runs in each at bat en route to totaling four ribbies on the day. His solo homer in the bottom of the second tied the game at two, then Manny’s two out single plated Lorenzo Cain in the bottom of the third and gave the Brewers a 3-2 lead, and his two-run homer in the fifth capped off a three-run inning and put Milwaukee up 6-4. Pina also threw out a runner trying to steal caught, finishing off a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play in the fifth.

Travis Shaw’s home run in the same fifth inning had tied up the game at four, but the Brewers were hobbled by some poor to very poor pitching performances. Whether that’s because the Diamondbacks can really hit or Milwaukee pitching had a bad day remains to be seen.

Chase Anderson left after 3 ²⁄₃ innings, allowing five hits and four runs (all earned). He allowed two hits leading off the first and both scored on sacrifice flies. He was smooth for awhile after that, until a harmless two-out single with two down in the third. But then Jake Lamb and Steven Souza homered back to back leading off the fourth inning to take back the lead. His day ended after two subsequent groundouts.

After Aaron Wilkerson worked a scoreless fifth inning, but he could only get one out in the sixth while allowing five hits and five runs, abetted by Ernesto Frieri giving up one inherited run and two of his own, with a three-run homer from Rey Fuentes to finish the scoring.

Adrian Houser worked a scoreless seventh inning with a walk and a strikeout and had good velocity and movement on his fastball and lots of break on his slider.

Cain and Ji-Man Choi both had two hits including a double, and Orlando Arcia contributed a double as well for Milwaukee. Neither team had an error (I think that may be a first this spring) and Arizona outfielders contributed two fine diving catches that limited Brewer scoring. In the bottom of the first, rightfielder Souza made a diving catch in the gap with runners on first and third with nobody out and Shaw at the plate. Cain read the ball in the gap off the bat (as did BA and I, for that matter) and had rounded second. He was doubled off of first while Christian Yelich scored - he had wisely tagged. But it left the Brewers with nobody on and two down, with hopes of a big inning down the drain.

Tomorrow’s afternoon contest has Oakland visiting Maryvale. Yovani Gallardo starts for the Brewers, and the game will again be televised. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 PM CST.