PHOENIX -- The way things are going, the Arizona Diamondbacks could use a silver lining.
They got one Friday night from Patrick Corbin.
The Diamondbacks lost again, this time to the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1, but Corbin was outstanding.
The left-hander, in his fifth start in his return from Tommy John surgery, went seven innings, matching his career high of 10 strikeouts. Corbin (1-3) allowed four hits, walked one and hit a batter.
The only run he allowed was Ryan Braun's homer on the first pitch of the sixth inning.
"He's an ace-type pitcher and it looks like his stuff is right back the way it was," Braun said, "really good velocity, explosive fastball both sides of the plate, great slider and an effective changeup when he needs to throw it, too. I don't know if he'd say it was all the way back but we felt he was pretty close."
Jimmy Nelson was just as good for Milwaukee, maybe better.
Nelson (8-9) allowed five hits and escaped a couple of early jams to improve his record to 5-1 over his last six starts. He struck out five and walked three, one intentionally.
"It was a well-pitched game," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "You got the feel after about the third that it was going to be tough to score. I think that feeling kind of crept over the game that one run was going to be a big run."
The Diamondbacks targeted Corbin for 90 pitches. He threw 89.
"He pitched beautifully," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "He did a good job. He had good stuff, and his stuff seemed to last `til his pitch count, and that's the important part. We'll see how it is next time."
It was the first time Corbin had pitched on the fifth day. He had been given extra time his first few outings.
"Everything just felt good, even the pitch to Braun," he said. "First pitch, trying to get ahead. It was down, kind came back over the middle and he put a good swing on it. We had a chance to score early on in the game, which would have helped a lot."
Milwaukee's second run scored on Brad Ziegler's two-out wild pitch in the ninth.
Chris Owings led off the Arizona ninth with a triple and scored on Nick Ahmed's one-out sacrifice fly to center. Pinch-hitter Welington Castillo grounded sharply to shortstop for the final out to give Francisco Rodriguez his 22nd save in as many tries.
Jonathan Lucroy had three hits for Milwaukee in its fifth victory in the last seven games. Arizona has dropped nine of 11 and is 2-6 with two games left in a 10-game homestand.
The Diamondbacks wasted two early chances.
Ender Inciarte opened the first with a double and Paul Goldschmidt drew a one-out walk. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third with one out but Nelson struck out David Peralta and Owings to end the threat.
An intentional walk to Goldschmidt loaded the bases for Arizona with one out in the third, and Peralta promptly bounced an inning-ending double-play ball to the pitcher.
Corbin allowed only one runner to reach second -- Hernan Perez's two-out double in the second -- before Braun hit the first pitch of the second inning into the seats in right field, his 18th home run of the season.
"You try to be prepared for every pitch," Braun said. "Sometimes it's the first (pitch) at bat is the first pitch to hit, sometimes it might be the fifth or sixth, but a guy of his caliber, as good as he is, I don't think you have the luxury of giving him a strike, so I always try to be prepared for everything."
Goldschmidt's two walks gave him a major league-high 77. His 21 intentional walks are by far the most in the majors.
Brewers: RHP Willy Peralta (strained right oblique) is continuing his rehab with Double-A Biloxi. He was placed on the DL on May 25, retroactive to May 23.
Diamondbacks: Castillo missed his third straight start with a sore hamstring. Manager Chip Hale says he expects Castillo back in the lineup on Saturday.
Brewers: RHP Taylor Jungmann (5-1, 2.04 ERA) takes the mound in the series finale, his ninth start since being called up from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Jungmann has a 1.29 ERA in his last five starts.
Diamondbacks: Arizona looks to rebound at home with Rubby De La Rosa (7-5, 4.83) on the mound.
