A look at the Brewers’ postgame celebration after winning the NL Central title
A look at the Milwaukee Brewers’ postgame celebration after winning the NL Central title. The Brewers picked up the win when the Cubs lost earlier in the day.
With their second consecutive Central Division title secured and the subsequent celebrations in the rearview mirror, the Milwaukee Brewers got back to work on Thursday night. With ten games left, there may still be ground to make up in the postseason.
But with a watered-down lineup that was missing shortstop Willy Adames for the first time this season and a spirited Arizona Diamondbacks team in town, a listless 5-1 loss at American Family Field was all they could manage.
Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt completely dominated the Brewers, allowing two hits and one run and recording a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven innings. Tobias Myers, on the other hand, struggled, needing 93 pitches to get through four innings in what was his least effective start in nearly a month.
RESULT: Diamondbacks 5, Brewers 1
Milwaukee managed just two hits, a season low. The team also failed to issue a walk and was struck out 15 times.
Garrett Mitchell’s home run in the seventh inning against Pfaadt was the only hit.
“You can say we didn’t look very good offensively, but you have to give credit to the pitching,” manager Pat Murphy said. “He pitched with great pitching on the edge. The kid is coming on. Last year’s postseason showed how good this kid is.”
Willy Adames has the evening off
Adames started all 152 games and played 143 complete games before getting his first break of the season from Murphy.
The timing made sense given the clinch celebration and some less-than-stellar performances in recent games. But with both Adames and Rhys Hoskins on the bench, Milwaukee’s lineup was definitely lacking some presence and momentum, which Pfaadt took advantage of.
The Brewers had shut out the right-hander in his previous game against them on September 14 at Chase Field in just 1 ⅔ innings, during which he scored eight runs on seven hits.
But Pfaadt was virtually unbeatable in this game, allowing only one single from Brice Turang in his first six innings. Between the fourth and sixth innings, he even struck out seven batters in a row.
“He was great tonight,” Murphy said. “He stayed up front. He threw very maturely and kept attacking. We didn’t get a lot of good shots from him. I’m not going to make any excuses. These guys have held up, and they’ve held up all year.”
“Sometimes you run into a circular saw.”
A fight for Tobias Myers
Myers had to work much harder in the first four innings to keep the Diamondbacks from scoring.
He eventually fell victim to his inefficiency – he managed just three pitches to 10 of the 20 batters he faced – and allowed two runs to start the fifth inning. An error by Andruw Monasterio at third base and a double by Ketel Marte finally allowed both runners to score.
Myers (8-6) was replaced by Aaron Ashby after throwing 93 pitches, and a sacrifice fly by Christian Walker after two batters gave Arizona a 3-0 lead. Myers allowed four hits, three runs (one earned) and three walks with five strikeouts.
“His performance was good, especially early on, but tonight he just didn’t look like he was up to par,” Murphy said. “Lots of three-counts. High pitch counts over four innings. I probably would have gone a little earlier if we had a full bullpen.”
“He still did some nice things.”
Myers said he jokingly predicted long before the Brewers made their final decision that he would be the man on the mound in the next game.
“I predicted it about a week and a half ago,” Myers said. “That’s exactly how it was supposed to go. It is what it is. Just keep going. It was a long night, it was a fun night. We celebrated.”
“I was definitely out there a lot longer than usual. I didn’t have as much fun as the other guys. But we’ll just look forward from today and take what we’ve learned with us.”
Garrett Mitchell breaks the shutout
With two outs in the seventh inning, Mitchell hit a solo home run to right-center field to break the shutout and give the Brewers their last baserunner.
Pfaadt rebounded by striking out Blake Perkins for the third time in as many at-bats, giving him a career-high 12. He did not walk a single batter in his 104-pitch effort.
Joe Ross replaced Hoby Milner for the seventh inning and allowed a single by Christian Walker and a home run by Pavin Smith, extending the Diamondbacks’ lead to 5-1.
“Joe Ross, that’s the first time he’s ever been touched (as a reliever),” Murphy said. “But he threw the ball well. It’s his first back-to-back. He’d like to have a pitch back, but the kid is a great hitter right now.”
“I think we can rely on Joe 100 percent. I like him out there. I like his demeanor. I like his attitude. I like his experience and I like his stuff.”
Brewer’s time, television, radio
The Brewers game begins at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday.
Television: FOX. Radio: AM-620 and a state network.
Brewers lineup
- Brice Turang2B
- Jackson Chourio LF
- William Contreras C
- Garrett Mitchell DH
- Blake Perkins CF
- Jake Bauer’s 1B
- Joey Ortiz SS
- Sal Frelick RF
- Andruw Monasterio 3B
Diamondbacks lineup
- Corbin Carroll RF
- Ketel Marte 2B
- Joel Pederson DH
- Christian Walker 1B
- Pavin Smith LF
- Eugenio Suarez 3B
- Jake McCarthy CF
- Gabriel Moreno C
- Geraldo Perdomo SS
Brewers Schedule
Brewers vs. Diamondbacks, Friday, 7:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Colin Rea (12-5, 4.14) vs. Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (12-6, 3.61). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.
Brewers vs. Diamondbacks, Saturday, 6:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Aaron Civale (7-8, 4.48) vs. Arizona RHP Merrill Kelly (4-0, 4.00). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.
Brewers vs. Diamondbacks, Sunday, 3:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Frankie Montas (7-11, 4.50) vs. Arizona LHP Jordan Montgomery (8-7, 6.23). Broadcasts: TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.
