Brewers strike late for 9-3 road victory

Jun 16, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Aramis Ramirez (16) hits an RBI double during the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Brewers traveled to Arizona tonight for the start of a seven game road trip, opening with four games against the D-Backs at Chase Field before finishing with a trio of games against the Colorado Rockies at the launching pad known as Coors Field.

Monday’s contest against Arizona featured Wily Peralta (6-5, 2.90 ERA) for the guests and lanky Brandon McCarthy (1-9, 5.29 ERA) for Arizona. Carlos Gomez was absent from the Brewers line-up, with manager Ron Roenicke allowing the star center fielder to rest a nagging hamstring injury.

McCarthy began the game setting down the Brewers in order in the top of the first, looking nothing like a pitcher who leads the major leagues in losses.

In the bottom half of the first, Peralta got two quick grounders to Jean Segura, including a nice play on a slow bouncer in front of second base before Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero both lined singles to right field, giving Arizona runners at first and third. Aaron Hill looked at a strike on the outside corner to end the threat.

Milwaukee scored a pair of runs in the second to take an early lead.

Aramis Ramirez led off with a single to right and then Khris Davis sent a blast off the wall in right center, scoring Ramirez as the ball was misplayed off the wall and on the relay. Davis was credited with a triple on the play, also collecting an RBI.

Mark Reynolds walked to put runners on the corners, but Segura grounded into a 3-6-3 twin killing, scoring Davis to make it 2-0. Elian Herrera singled but was forced at second by Peralta.

The Diamondbacks took the lead in the third with four straight hits and three runs.

David Peralta and Chris Owings both singled to put runners at first and second. Roger Kieschnick followed with a base hit to center field, but Herrera tried for the runner at home instead of throwing to second and airmailed Jonathan Lucroy and Wily Peralta as David Peralta scored.

McCarthy lined a ball over Scooter Gennett, scoring Owings and Kieschnick  to give Arizona a 3-2 lead.

Gerardo Parra hit into a 6-4-3 double play to give Peralta some relief, but Martin Prado singled with two out before Goldschmidt popped to Gennett in foul territory.

Gennett led off the top of the third with a rocket to right center over the ‘413’ sign to tie the game at three.

Ryan Braun and Lucroy each singled to put runners at first and second. Ramirez lined a ball to right-center that Parra made a nice diving grab before scrambling to his feet and firing to second to double off Braun, who must have fallen asleep. Davis bounced to the pitcher to end the inning.

David Peralta singled off his namesake with two outs, but was stranded as Owings flied to center.

Both sides went down in order in the fourth, including two whiffs by Peralta.

McCarthy set down the Brewers in order in the fifth, giving him a string of eight consecutive batters retired. Peralta did likewise in the bottom half, giving him a streak of seven straight batters set down.

Ramirez singled with one out in the sixth, but the D-Backs turned their third double play as Davis grounded to third with Prado starting an ‘around the horn’ twin killing.

Peralta kept his string of outs alive in the bottom of the sixth with two flies to center and his sixth strikeout, making ten consecutive Diamondbacks that trudged disconsolately back to the home dugout.

Hill robbed Reynolds of a hit to open the seventh with a diving stop behind second before he dropped the ball, but was able to pick it up and fire from his knees to beat the Brewers first sacker by a quarter-step. Segura flied out and Herrera whiffed to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the seventh, Arizona got an early baserunner as Kieschnick singled past Gennett with nobody out before McCarthy sacrificed the runner to second. Peralta hit Parra on the right arm, causing a stare-down from the D-Back runner as he strolled slowly to first.

Prado then grounded to Reynolds, who began a 3-6-1 double play. Arizona chose to challenge the play, but the umpires did not overturn the call on the field.

Lefthander Joe Thatcher came out to begin the Brewers eighth, as McCarthy went seven innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, striking out two and walking one.

Rickie Weeks batted instead of Lyle Overbay, but struck out before Gennett popped to shortstop. Will Harris then came on to face Braun.

Braun and Lucroy both walked, bringing up Ramirez. The Brewers got a major break as Ramirez offered at a 2-2 pitch, but first base umpire Ted Barrett signaled no swing, with Braun taking third on what was called a wild pitch.

Ramirez lined the next pitch just inside the third base line for a two-bagger, scoring both runners to make it 5-3 in favor of the Brewers.

Davis then hit a smash off the glove of a diving Owings, and when the ball trickled into short left, Ramirez was able to score to give Milwaukee a three-run lead. Davis was then thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.

Will Smith came in to pitch for Milwaukee to begin the bottom of the eighth. He allowed a Goldschmidt single, but then struck out Montero before inducing Hill to hit into a 4-3 double play, with Gennett making a nice play behind the second base bag.

Peralta went seven, allowing nine hits, three earned runs, and six strikeouts. He allowed only two hits after the second inning.

Herrera stroked a two-out, hustle double to right in the top of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Martin Maldonado was hit on the right arm by a pitch from J.J. Putz, who began the inning on the mound for Arizona. Herrera then swiped third, prompting Arizona manager Kirk Gibson to ‘ask’ for an ‘official review’ on the safe call at third. After nearly five minutes, the officials in New York ruled Herrera safe.

Gibson then stormed out of the dugout to argue the call and was ejected from the game.

Gennett singled to right center, scoring Herrera to make it 7-3. After a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance, Braun made it a moot point by tripling off the right center field wall over a leaping Parra to score a pair. Lucroy popped to second to end the inning.

Zach Duke came in to close out the game and struck out David Peralta before allowing a single to Owings. Kieschnick whiffed for the second out while Owings took second, with no stolen bag awarded.

Pinch-hitter Cody Ross flew to center to end the proceedings.

Wily Peralta improved to 7-5 with the win, while Harris dropped to 0-2 with the loss. Time of game was exactly three hours.