Brewers take Round 1 of 7, as Diamondbacks’ offense comes back to earth

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks looked poised for a crooked number in the first inning of Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, but after taking a 1-0 lead, the offense went quiet after scoring 32 runs over the previous three games.

The D-backs (82-65) managed six hits and four walks against Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, starting the game with a Corbin Carroll walk and Ketel Marte single.

Manager Torey Lovullo did not see approach problems, as against a quality pitching staff, the D-backs just came up short of a game-altering knock.

“I’m not upset with the approaches. It’s just the results didn’t happen today,” Lovullo said. “So we just gotta keep banging away at it. And traditionally, this team has been throwing up a ton of runs, and that’s why I maneuvered into the bullpen the way you saw today.”

“Peralta has one of the best fastballs, I think, in the big leagues, it just gets on you,” Pavin Smith, who delivered the lone RBI on a sacrifice fly, added. “It looks a little weird. They’re back-end of their bullpen is very good too. … Credit to them tonight.”

Smith perhaps came the closest to breaking through with a deep fly ball to center field that fell just short of catching the overhang. The 391-foot shot would have been a homer in seven MLB parks, according to Statcast. Instead, it ended the fifth inning with two base runners stranded.

Another potentially key moment came when Christian Walker was thrown out at third base trying to advance on a ball in the dirt to end the third inning. Lovullo told him to trust his first instinct, as Walker started, stopped and went.

After Peralta exited after the fifth inning, Milwaukee’s bullpen — which entered the game with a National League-best 3.14 ERA — tossed four hitless innings, closed out by two-time All-Star Devin Williams.

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo on the team’s offensive approach tonight. pic.twitter.com/Cr7DzNR9YG

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 14, 2024

Friday’s game was the first of seven matchups between the Diamondbacks and Brewers (85-62) through next weekend, giving Arizona’s league-leading offense a challenge against a strong Milwaukee pitching staff (3.59 team ERA).

“They’re built to play these types of games. I think we’re versatile, and we can play these types of games, too,” Lovullo said. “They just got the better of us today. We know there’s going to be a wide range of games. You’re probably going to see games like this, innings like this, and you’re going to see it totally different. So we just got to get after it.”

Arizona had hit 14 home runs over its last four games and entered Friday on a three-game winning streak. The D-backs are 13-34 this season when they hit no home runs.

Milwaukee’s magic number to clinch the NL Central, meanwhile, dropped to five.

Eduardo Rodriguez “solid” for Diamondbacks

Rodriguez threw at least five innings with two earned runs or fewer for the second time in seven starts since coming off the injured list.

The lefty struck out seven batters through three scoreless innings to begin his outing, punching out six of eight Brewers in one stretch.

Rodriguez, however, missed his spot on a sinker to Rhys Hoskins in the fourth inning, and he blasted a towering two-run homer to left field to take a 2-1 lead.

“The only pitch I feel like I missed in the whole game was a sinker, and when you miss a pitch, you pay for it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s been happening to me the last three, four games. … But overall, I feel like location-wise on everything was really good.”

Rhys Hoskins puts the @Brewers ahead with his 24th home run of the year. 💪 pic.twitter.com/4xMGjbOkuo

— MLB (@MLB) September 14, 2024

Lovullo said Rodriguez wanted to stay in the game after the fifth inning but the D-backs’ bullpen was rested. Ryan Thompson, Joe Mantiply, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk kept the deficit 2-1.

“I thought E-Rod was solid,” Lovullo said. “Just couldn’t get that big momentum push on our side … It was one two-seam fastball that missed on the plate to a really good hitter … and that was the difference in the game.”

Eduardo Rodríguez’s 3Ks in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/FlmeaF9ky7

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 14, 2024

Notably, Arizona picked off two Brewers base runners, as Milwaukee came into the game third in MLB in stolen bases.

Diamondbacks’ wild card check in

This was a particularly tough night to lose, considering fellow wild card contenders the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and San Diego Padres all won their respective games. Arizona fell to the second wild card spot, a half-game back of San Diego, one game ahead of New York and two up on Atlanta.

The Braves are taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Mets are facing the Philadelphia Phillies, so all three have their hands full with division leaders this weekend.

Diamondbacks’ next game

Arizona’s series with Milwaukee continues Saturday at 5:10 p.m.

Brandon Pfaadt (4.42 ERA) is probable for the D-backs against Brewers rookie right-hander Tobias Myers (2.93 ERA).

Catch the game on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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