Garza, Brewers Overcome Early Struggles, Lose in Walk-off
Jun 18, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Khris Davis (18) celebrates with center fielder Carlos Gomez (27) after hitting a three run home run during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The Brewers looked to restart their streak of series wins and ties Wednesday night in Arizona. Their series loss to Cincinnati over the weekend snapped a streak of seven straight series wins and ties.
Carlos Gomez rejoined the starting lineup Wednesday after missing the first two games of the series with a sore hamstring.
Matt Garza (4-4, 4.17 ERA) took on Wade Miley (3-6, 4.71 ERA) in the third game of the series. Both pitchers threw into the eight inning, in a fast paced game.
Despite overcoming an early 3-0 deficit the Brewers lost in walk-off fashion 4-3 and will have to try to pick up the series win on Thursday.
Miley induced a Rickie Weeks ground-out to open the game for the Crew. Ryan Braun crushed a fly ball to deep center field, but the park held it and Tony Campana ran it down.
Yesterday’s hero Jonathan Lucroy drew a two-out walk and Carlos Gomez bounced out to Martin Prado at third to end the inning.
Gerardo Parra led off the Diamondbacks’ half of the first with a triple down the right field line and came in to score on an infield single by Chris Owings.
Paul Goldschmidt grounded into a fielder’s choice to erase Owings at second. Miguel Montero reached on an error. He smacked a double-play ground ball to Weeks at second and Weeks flipped it poorly to second; everybody was safe.
Goldschmidt moved to third on a wild pitch by Garza. Aaron Hill smacked a double-play ground ball to Segura. Segura made the throw to Weeks at second but Rickie bounced the throw to Mark Reynolds at first and he couldn’t handle it and Goldschmidt scored.
Martin Prado grounded out to Aramis Ramirez to end the inning.
Aramis Ramirez got a second chance to lead off the second inning when Montero dropped a foul pop-up; Ramirez eventually walked. Khris Davis followed with a single up the middle to put two on.
Reynolds followed with a double-play ground ball to second. Hill stepped on the bag and fired to first for the outs. Ramirez moved to third on the play.
Segura struck out to end the inning with Ramirez stranded at third.
David Peralta led off the bottom half of the frame with a hard single up the middle. Campana followed with a fly out to Gomez in center.
Mily struck out trying to advance the runner with a bunt for the second out. Peralta stole second with Parra batting. Parra grounded out to Reynolds at first to end the inning without any damage.
Mily struck out the side in the Brewer half of the third inning.
Owings led off the bottom half of the frame with a triple, and it was the second time in three innings that the Diamondbacks had a lead off triple.
Goldschmidt followed with a single up the middle to drive in Owings and extend the lead to three. Montero followed with a strike out.
Goldschmidt stole second on a Hill strike out to put himself in scoring position with two outs. Prado bounced out to Ramirez to end the inning.
Lucroy opened the fourth inning with a single to center, and advanced to third on a single by Gomez. After a Ramirez strike out, Davis launched an opposite field home run (12) to tie the game at three.
Reynolds and Segura grounded out to end the inning with the game freshly tied.
Garza tossed his first three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the fourth.
He followed that up by leading off the top of the fifth with a single to right. Weeks reached on a fielder’s choice ground ball with Garza out at second.
Braun followed with a line out to second, and Lucroy flew out to right to end the frame with Weeks stranded at first.
Garza picked up another one-two-three inning in the bottom of the fifth that included a diving catch by Reynolds on a hard hit line drive down the line.
Mily put the Brewers down in order in the top of the sixth.
Montero led off the bottom half of the frame with a single to center. After a Hill line out to Davis, Prado bounced into a double play to end the inning.
Mily came right back out and put the Crew down one-two-three in the top of the seventh as well.
Garza returned the favor and cruised through the bottom of the Diamondbacks lineup in the bottom of the seventh.
With two outs in the top of the eighth Lucroy drew a walk. Gomez followed with a walk of his own and the night was over for Mily as manager Kirk Gibson called in yesterday’s goat Brad Ziegler to finish the inning for the Diamondbacks.
Ziegler struck out Ramirez to end the inning with two runners on base.
Garza returned to the hill in the eighth to face the top of the Arizona order. With one out Owings doubled down the line in right. Manager Ron Roenicke left Garza in to face Goldschmidt.
Goldschmidt grounded out to second, moving Owings to third with two outs. That brought a visit to the mound from Roenicke and ended the night for Garza, as Will Smith was summoned.
Smith promptly struck out Montero to end the inning and the threat with Owings at third. Montero was Smith’s only batter.
Ziegler returned for the ninth and quickly put down Davis, Reynolds and Segura.
Brandon Kintzler came on to pitch the ninth for Milwaukee. He got Hill to ground out, but Prado followed with a double to deep left-center to put the winning run in scoring position.
Peralta bounced out to Reynonds at first for the second out; Prado moved to third on the play. Campana followed with a single up the middle to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 walk off win.
Neither starter factored in the decision. For Milwaukee Garza went 7 2/3 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits and no walks; he struck out four.
For Arizona, Mily went 7 2/3 innings, and allowed three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out eight.
Brandon Kintzler picked up the loss for the Brewers. Brad Ziegler earned the win for the Diamondbacks.
The series finale is Thursday and features Chase Anderson (5-1, 3.21 ERA) taking on Yovani Gallardo (4-4, 3.51 ERA).