Brew Crew overpowers Diamondbacks, 7-5

The Brewers came away with a 7-5 come-from-behind win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on the strength of some late-game power on Saturday.

Brandon Woodruff wasn’t completely locked in by Brandon Woodruff standards. He battled and delivered (for him) a serviceable but abbreviated five-inning start. He allowed only two runs on six hits, including a Josh Rojas leadoff homer. He struck out nine and walked only one batter. It was Woodruff’s first start since opening day that lasted fewer than six innings.

The Brewer bats were quiet in the first part of the contest, but they would eventually provide more than enough run support. The first eight Brewer bats sat down in order. In the last spot of the batting order, Woodruff notched the Crew’s first hit of the contest and his first hit of the season.

The Crew got on the board after an early-inning threat in the fourth. Daniel Vogelbach led off with a single to left. Christian Yelich followed with a walk. Omar Narváez (who would go 3-4 on the day) singled to right to load the bases with no outs and Willy Adames coming to the plate. Adames and Travis Shaw made for two quick outs before a passed ball allowed Vogelbach to score.

The inning belonged to Tyrone Taylor who, in the bottom of the fourth, singled to left to score Yelich and Narváez to bring the Crew ahead, 3-2.

In the top of the fourth, Taylor halted an early-inning D-backs rally on an impressive defensive play. He ranged from deep right-center to the right field foul line to grab an out, and then threw a long bullet to third base to hold Josh Reddick at second.

Hoby Milner came on for Woodruff in the sixth and put up a scoreless inning. He sat down three in a row after allowing a leadoff single.

The Crew tacked on a few more runs in the sixth when Willy Adames homered on the first pitch he saw to score Omar Narváez who had just reached on a sharply hit grounder to right.

The knock gave Milwaukee a 5-2 lead, but the D-Backs came back in the very next inning when Brent Suter allowed the top of the order three runs off two home runs.

Devin Williams put up a scoreless eighth, striking out two and walking one. Omar Narváez and Willy Adames would take care of that walk to end the inning. Tim Locastro, who came in to run for Stephen Vogt, beat Narváez’ throw and was initially called safe, but Locastro couldn’t hold the bag through Adames’ tag. The Brewers challenged after a very confident Willy Adames returned to the dugout and brought the rest of the infield with him, and the play was overturned.

Christian Yelich led off in the bottom of the eighth. He took a bad checked swing call for a strike, held off for the next pitch, a ball, and clobbered the next pitch he saw into the Brewers’ dugout for a solo home run to give the Brewers the 6-5 lead.

Omar Narváez went back-to-back with Yeli on the very next pitch to give the Crew the 7-5 lead.

Josh Hader put up a scoreless 1-2-3 ninth to preserve the lead and secure the win for the Brewers, but he needed some dazzling fielding support from Luis Urías to do it.

After Hader struck out Josh Rojas, Ketel Marte hit a smoking grounder back to Hader, who narrowly avoided the comeback hit. Urías made a diving back-handed grab and threw out Marte from his knees.

Hader pitched a full count to Eduardo Escobar before Escobar hit a routine pop fly to Jackie Bradley Jr. to end the inning and the game.

Corbin Burnes will take the mound tomorrow as the Crew aims to sweep the Diamondbacks in four.