Brewers flat again as they drop series to Diamondbacks with 5-1 loss

Box Score

It was one of those games where the Brewers just didn’t have anything go well. The offense was quiet while the Diamondbacks put together a stellar pitching performance and strong offensive day. The result was a 5-1 loss as the Brewers dropped three of four to the Diamondbacks.

Rowdy Tellez had a single in the first but that was all for the offense, while Josh Rojas of the Diamondbacks drew a walk but they also had nothing else. In the second, Keston Hiura drew a walk but was stranded. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks manufactured a run with a Corbin Carroll walk, Carson Kelly single (that moved Carroll to third) and an Alek Thomas sacrifice fly. With that, the Diamondbacks had an early 1-0 lead.

The Brewers went down in order in the third. Daulton Varsho extended the Diamondbacks lead in the bottom of the inning with a leadoff home run, making it 2-0. Hunter Renfroe singled in the fourth, but that would be the Brewers last baserunner for a while. The Diamondbacks, led by starting pitcher Zac Gallen, retired the next 11 Brewers in a row, and 17 of the 19 that the Brewers sent to the plate between then and the end of the game. Gallen pitched seven scoreless innings, just allowing those two singles and a walk while adding seven strikeouts.

Jason Alexander started again for the Brewers and didn’t let the game get out of hand, but that’s about it. In addition to the two runs in the second and third, he was charged with a third run that the Diamondbacks managed to put together in the fifth inning. The Diamondbacks had two singles and a walk off Alexander that inning, though one was erased on a strikeout-caught stealing double play. Hoby Milner finished the fifth but allowed a single that scored a run, putting the Diamondbacks up 3-0. Alexander finished the day with 4 ²⁄₃ IP, three runs, five hits, four walks and three strikeouts.

Hoby Milner also pitched the sixth and had a scoreless inning, finishing the day with three strikeouts. Matt Bush took the seventh and added two strikeouts in a scoreless inning. Brent Suter took the eighth, and he promptly started by allowing a walk and then a two-run home run to Jake McCarthy that basically put the game out of reach at 5-0.

The game was on its way to being another shutout for the Brewers offense, but with two outs in the ninth, Hunter Renfroe hit a solo home run to put a single run on the board for the Brewers. That at least erased a shutout, but it still ended as a 5-1 loss. Renfroe was the only Brewer that reached base multiple times (two hits), and Rowdy Tellez added the only other hit for the offense. Hiura had a walk and Victor Caratini reached base once on a hit by pitch.

With the loss, the division falls further and further out of sight as the Brewers are now 8 ¹⁄₂ games behind the Cardinals. They still remain in the Wild Card picture, mostly thanks to the Phillies and Padres not getting hot. However, the Brewers are running out of time if they want to make it into the playoffs this year, and these Diamondbacks will be the Brewers last opponent of the regular season.

The Brewers head to Colorado next for a three-game series. Adrian Houser returns to the rotation and will face Ryan Feltner in game one of the series. It’s a Labor Day matinee with first pitch at 3:10 PM, and will be on Bally Sports Wisconsin and the Brewers Radio Network.