Gennett leads Brewers to 5-run 8th inning, win over Diamondbacks
MILWAUKEE -- Scooter Gennett got some good fortune on the go-ahead hit Tuesday night. And the way he figures it, the Milwaukee Brewers deserved it.
Gennett and Jonathan Villar each hit a two-run single in a five-run eighth inning that sent Milwaukee to a 9-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the score tied at 4, the Brewers batted around and broke the game open on three hits and four walks against Arizona's bullpen.
Hernan Perez singled up the middle off reliever Daniel Hudson (1-2) to start the eighth, and Ryan Braun walked. With one out, Chris Carter walked to load the bases for Gennett, who blooped the tiebreaking single over second base.
"It's a crazy game," Gennett said. "Sometimes you can do everything right and fail. Sometimes you can get jammed by 97 (mph) and everything works out. It's a crazy game and it's about time that things start working in our favor, though."
Second baseman Phil Gosselin made a diving attempt at the ball, but it just eluded his reach.
"For a while there, we couldn't catch a break, hitting balls hard right at people in big situations," Gennett said. "And now, we're getting those hits. We're finding holes. It's been fun, lately."
The good times continued for Milwaukee, too.
Zac Curtis came on and struck out pinch-hitter Andy Wilkins, but walked Keon Broxton and Kirk Nieuwenhuis to force in another run.
"The walks are tough to stomach," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. "Two-out walks come back to get you."
And they did, when Villar followed with a two-run single that capped the rally.
"We did a nice job tonight with two outs just keeping the line moving," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said after his club won consecutive games for the first time since July 4-5.
Milwaukee starter Matt Garza allowed five hits in six innings and left with a 4-3 lead, but Arizona tied it at 4 in the seventh. Michael Bourn singled on a bunt to reliever Will Smith and raced to second on the throwing error to first. Bourn went to third on a groundout before Paul Goldschmidt greeted Tyler Thornburg (4-4) with a run-scoring infield single.
Garza hasn't won since beating Washington 6-5 on June 25, a span of five starts.
"Going into the 8th tied 4-4, I think we felt great about it," Hale said. "We had a good part of the order coming up in the top of the ninth. We just need to get there."
Milwaukee chased Patrick Corbin in the sixth and went ahead 4-3. Braun singled, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, and Jonathan Lucroy walked. Enrique Burgos came on and got Carter to hit into a double play. Braun scored on Gennett's single off the glove of shortstop Jean Segura.
"With Corbin throwing so many pitches (40) in the first inning, he did an unbelievable job to get to the sixth," Hale said.
Corbin hasn't won since June 21, a stretch of six starts.
The Diamondbacks tied it at 3 in the fourth on Bourn's fielder's choice with the bases loaded.
Carter, who got Monday night off to regroup after going 1 for 18, singled in the Brewers' first run in the first inning. Jake Elmore added a two-run single.
Segura doubled and scored on Goldschmidt's single in the first. Welington Castillo's ground-rule double drove in Goldschmidt.
MILWAUKEE GOLD
Goldschmidt is a .433 career hitter (45 for 104) with 13 doubles, eight homers, 24 RBIs and 20 walks in 28 games against the Brewers.
LAMB OUT OF LINEUP
Hale kept 3B Jake Lamb (sore left hand) out of the lineup and plans to use him sparingly over the next few days.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke threw 40 pitches in a bullpen session. He's been on the disabled list since June 29 with a left oblique strain. He threw 25 pitches, took a brief break and then finished with another 15. Hale said Greinke likely will pitch in an Arizona Rookie League game on Friday. ... OF David Peralta (lower back strain) will remain on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno, but is expected to rejoin the Diamondbacks on Friday.
Brewers: INF Will Middlebrooks (lower right leg strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday. In his absence, Counsell plans to use Perez more at third and less in right field. Perez has appeared in 62 games, including 39 starts (26 at 3B, 13 in RF). "His versatility is valuable," Counsell said. Elmore is also in the mix at third.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Archie Bradley (3-6, 4.44 ERA) faces the Brewers for the first time. He was recalled from Triple-A Reno on May 29.
Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (6-8, 3.40) looks to add to his team-leading 11 quality starts when he faces the Diamondbacks for the third time in his career and first this season. He was 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against Arizona last season.
