MILWAUKEE -- An ill-timed curveball spoiled the major league debut of Arizona Diamondbacks pitching prospect Braden Shipley.
With his team trailing by one run in the sixth inning Monday night, Shipley threw a breaking pitch that Milwaukee Brewers backup catcher Martin Maldonado belted for a three-run homer, ending the right-hander's outing.
"I was just trying to get something that would induce a groundball," Shipley said. "I'd been locating my curveball well and I think he was unfortunately just sitting on that pitch and he got it out of the yard."
The Brewers went deep four times in all, three off Shipley, for a 7-2 victory.
"I thought he threw the ball OK," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "He threw some pretty good curveballs, but his changeup was probably a little hard and up tonight and that's what kind of got him in trouble."
Scooter Gennett, Jonathan Villar and pinch-hitter Andy Wilkins also connected for the Brewers in the opener of a four-game series. Chase Anderson went five innings to beat his former team for his first win since June 8.
Acquired from the Diamondbacks in the offseason, Anderson (5-10) hadn't made it through five innings in any of his previous five starts. This time, he gave up two runs and seven hits.
Gennett hit a 437-foot homer to straightaway center field off Shipley (0-1) with one out in the first to give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead. Shipley was selected 15th overall by Arizona in the 2013 amateur draft.
"After the first inning and the one home run, I told myself to go back out there and give the team six more strong (innings)," Shipley said. "Unfortunately, a couple more home runs beat me, but overall I thought I threw some quality pitches."
Shipley helped his cause when he led off the third with a stand-up double, narrowly missing a home run. He later scored on a single by Jean Segura.
"I thought it was just a line drive into the gap, so out of the box I just put my head down and was thinking double the whole way," Shipley said.
Villar put the Brewers back in front with a home run leading off the third. Arizona pulled even in the fourth on a run-scoring double by Yasmany Tomas.
In the fifth, Ryan Braun extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a run-scoring single, putting Milwaukee ahead 3-2.
Wilkins followed Maldonado's three-run drive with his first career home run -- he had been 0 for 9 since getting called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs this month.
MAKE ROOM
The Diamondbacks selected the contract of Shipley, rated their top prospect, from Triple-A Reno. RHP Silvino Bracho was optioned to Reno.
RETURN TO MILWAUKEE
Jean Segura and Rickie Weeks, once key players for the Brewers, returned to Miller Park as teammates on the Diamondbacks. "We knew, when we traded for Jean, the talent that he had," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "He's just been a godsend for us. Rickie is a veteran with a dangerous bat. He's been a stabilizer in the clubhouse."
The Diamondbacks selected the contract of Shipley, rated their top prospect, from Triple-A Reno. RHP Silvino Bracho was optioned to Reno.
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke, on the disabled list since June 29 with a left oblique strain, is likely to pitch a simulated game with the Diamondbacks or a minor league rehab game on Friday, manager Chip Hale said.
Brewers: INF Will Middlebrooks (lower right leg strain) was placed on the 15-day DL. "I think we're too early to know exactly how long he'll be out. It's a pretty significant strain," manager Craig Counsell said. OF Keon Broxton was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... OF Domingo Santana (right elbow) has been shut down from a rehabilitation assignment at Class A Wisconsin. "It's a big setback. I don't have a timetable," Counsell said. "We'll have to get another doctor's opinion and see if that sheds any light on anything."
Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (4-9, 5.23 ERA) is 2-2 with a 1.80 ERA in his career against Milwaukee.
Brewers: Matt Garza (1-4, 5.94) has lost his last four starts while posting an 8.41 ERA. Milwaukee is 1-6 in his outings. Garza is 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA in eight career games (seven starts) against the Diamondbacks.
