Lucroy Belts Two Home Runs as Brewers Down Arizona

Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Lucroy really wants to be an All Star. With a new burst of popularity following his political-style attack ad against Yadier Molina, Lucroy had two home runs, and five runs batted in as the Brewers beat the Diamondbacks 7-5 in the second game of their four-game series.

Mike Bolsinger (1-2, 6.08 ERA) was pressed into service on the day he was called up by the Diamondbacks due to Bronson Arroyo‘s elbow injury, and pushed Wade Mily’s start to Wednesday.

Kyle Lohse (7-2, 3.00 ERA) was coming off a fantastic start in his last outing on June 12. He went eight innings and allowed just one unearned run on four hits.

Other than two bad pitches to Aramis Ramirez and Jonathan Lucroy, Bolsinger had a great start against the Crew, but as they did last night the Brewers got to the Diamondbacks pen and took the game.

Bolsinger put the Brewers down one-two-three in the top of the first. Lohse hit Didi Gregorius to open the bottom half of the first inning. Gerardo Parra followed with a single to left to put two on for Paul Goldschmidt.

Lohse walked Goldschmidt to load the bases with nobody out. Miguel Montero followed with an RBI single on a jam shot to shallow left to drive in Gregorius.  Martin Prado followed with a fielder’s choice to drive in Parra.

Montero was out as second on the play, and it left runners at the corners with one out as Prado beat Segura’s throw to first. David Peralta follow with a fielder’s choice ground ball of his own.

Mark Reynolds fielded the grounder cleanly, but his throw to Segura at second was wide, and the Crew could only get the out at second. Goldschmidt came in to score on the play and Peralta was safe at first.

Chris Owings grounded out to Segura at short to end the inning with the Diamondbacks holding a 3-0 lead.

Aramis Ramirez led off the second inning with an absolute blast down the line in left for his eighth home run of the season and cut the lead to two runs.

Three batters later Segura belted a two-out triple to right center but he was stranded at third as Elian Herrera bounced out to short.

Lohse put the Diamondbacks down in order in the bottom half of the frame.

With two outs in the top of the third Braun singled up the middle; Lucroy singled as well, but both runners were stranded as Ramirez popped out to end the inning.

Lohse allowed Goldschmidt’s second walk, but otherwise got through the third inning without issue.

Bolsinger returned the favor and put Milwaukee down in order in the top of the fourth.

With one out in the Diamondbacks’ half of the frame Owings doubled to center against a weak throw from Herrera. But he was stranded at third after a couple of ground outs to end the inning.

With two outs in the top of the fifth, Scooter Gennett singled up the middle. Owings made a diving stop on it and great throw to first, but Gennett beat it there. That was it for the Crew though, as Braun grounded out to end the inning.

Goldschmidt picked up his third walk of the game with two outs in the fifth inning and moved to second on an error by Scooter Gennett. Montero hit a weak grounder to second; Gennett was playing deep and charged the ball well, but lost it when transferring from his glove to his hand for the throw.

Goldschmidt came around to score on a single by Prado. Montero moved to third on the play. Peralta struck out to end the inning, but the unearned run gave the Diamondbacks a three-run lead.

Lucroy led off the sixth inning with a home run (7) off Bolsinger to bring the Brewers within two. Bolsinger put the Brewers down in order after the home run.

Lohse opened the bottom of the sixth by hitting Owings with a pitch but worked through the rest of the inning without further issue.

Segura led off the seventh with his second triple of the game and came on to score on a Herrera line drive out to center. Lyle Overbay came on to pinch-hit for Lohse and that ended the day for Bolsinger as Evan Marshall came on for the Diamondbacks.

Lohse went six innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits and three walks, he struck out three. He left the game in line for the loss.

Bolsinger left in line for the win, going 6 1/3 innings, while allowing three runs on seven hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out six.

Overbay singled up the middle. Gennett followed with a double to left to move Overbay to third. Marshall threw his first pitch to Braun behind the Brewer slugger, probably in retaliation for Lohse’s hit-by-pitch on Owings.

Marshall’s second pitch didn’t miss Braun, and the Brewers loaded the bases with one out. Marshall was ejected to a standing ovation from the Diamdonbacks crowd and fist pumps by his teammates and manager.

Brad Ziegler came in for the Diamondbacks without warming up in the bullpen after the ejection. Lucroy followed by crushing Ziegler’s first pitch out of the park to straight-away center field for a grand slam. It was his second home run of the game and eighth of the season.

Ziegler struck out Ramirez and Khris Davis to end the inning with the Brewers on top 7-4, and Lohse back in line for the win.

Will Smith came on to pitch the bottom half of the seventh for the Brewers and set Arizona down in order.

Randall DelGado came on to pitch the eighth for the Diamondbacks and other than a near home run by Reynolds (it was foul) he got through the inning without issue.

Brandon Kintzler came on to pitch the eighth for Milwaukee. He and Smith swapped positions because the heart of the Diamondbacks order came up in the seventh. Kintzler had no issues with the Diamondbacks in the inning.

DelGado returned to the mound to take on the Brewers in the ninth. Rickie Weeks, pinch-hitting for Kintzler, struck out to lead off the inning.

Gennett followed with a soft single to third that Prado threw away moving Gennett to second, but that is where he stayed as Braun and Lucroy struck out to end the inning.

Fransisco Rodriguez came on to work the save for the Brewers, and gave up a lead off home run to Roger Kieschnick to cut the lead to two runs. It was Kieschnick’s first career home run.

Pinch-hitter Cody Ross followed with a single to bring the tying run to the plate. K-Rod struck out Gregorius for the first out, but Parra followed with a single to center.

That brought up Goldschmidt with two on and one out. K-Rod struck him out on four pitches for the second out. Montero grounded out to Reynolds to end the game with the Brewers on top 7-5.

Game three pits Matt Garza (4-4, 4.17) against Wade Miley (3-6, 4.71) in another late evening start. The win puts the Brewers 14 games over .500 for the first time this season, and holds of the red-hot Cardinals who have won five in a row.