Brewers: Crew blanked again as offense dries up in desert
By Phil Watson
For the second straight game, the Milwaukee Brewers couldn’t muster a single run in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Sunday, the Crew lost for the fourth time in five games, taking a 3-0 defeat on the chin.
Jeremy Hellickson (7-6) blanked the Brewers on four hits and three walks over six innings and Milwaukee (43-56) mustered just one baserunner over the final three innings against a trio of Arizona (46-51) relievers.
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The Brewers were 0-for-9 Sunday with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base, running their two-game total for the weekend to 0-for-16 and 19, respectively.
Meanwhile, things didn’t go quite as well for Matt Garza (5-11) in his second start back from the disabled list. After throwing six shutout innings against the Cleveland Indians Tuesday, Garza gave up three runs on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 5.2 innings.
Jake Lamb broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with an RBI triple and Chris Owings cracked a two-run double in the sixth that chased Garza.
“He was one pitch away from a really nice outing,” manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com of Garza. “I know he’s frustrated, because he pitched well.”
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The Brewers played without first baseman Adam Lind, out with a sore back; center fielder Carlos Gomez, who was rested; and shortstop Jean Segura, out with an illness.
Jonathan Lucroy started at first base for Lind, with Martin Maldonado behind the plate, Gerardo Parra patrolling center field and Hector Gomez at shortstop.
Milwaukee had runners at first and second in the top of the first before Khris Davis and Scooter Gennett struck out to end the threat.
With runners at the corners and one out in the third, Garza was thrown out at the plate on a ground ball to third base by Ryan Braun, with Davis striking out to end the inning.
The Brewers had runners at first and second with two outs in the fourth after Maldonado was intentionally walked to get to Garza, who struck out.
Jul 26, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Matt Garza (22) fields a bunt hit by Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Ender Inciarte (5) during the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
In the fifth, Milwaukee had men at first and second again before Davis fanned and Gennett bounced out to first.
Neal Cotts got the final out of the sixth for the Brewers. Corey Knebel struck out two to work around a hit and a walk in the seventh and David Goforth allowed a hit and fanned two in the eighth.
Parra singled in the third inning, extending his hitting streak to 10 games.
It was the first time the Brewers had been shut out in consecutive games since April 12-13, 2013, against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Brewers have been shut out three straight times just once—May 3-6, 1972, once by the Minnesota Twins and twice by the California Angels.
Jul 26, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Scooter Gennett (2) turns a double play on Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Ender Inciarte (5) during the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
“We just haven’t been able to put innings together,” Counsell told MLB.com. “We just haven’t been able to keep the line moving the last couple of days. We’re in a little bit of a drought here, but I’m confident we’ll score runs.”
Through Thursday, Milwaukee was leading the National League with an average of 5.88 runs per game in July and owned the best OPS in baseball for the month at .859.
Davis was 0-for-4 on Sunday, striking out all four times.
The Brewers dropped three of four in Arizona and now head to San Francisco to face the defending World Series champion Giants in a three-game set.
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Right-hander Kyle Lohse (5-11, 6.29 ERA) is scheduled to start at AT&T Park on Monday against right-hander Chris Heston (10-5, 3.18).
Lohse is 3-4 in eight career starts against San Francisco, with a 5.08 ERA and 1.364 WHIP in 51.1 innings. That includes allowing five runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings and taking the loss in an 8-4 defeat at Miller Park on May 25.
In his last start, Lohse allowed five runs on 10 hits with three walks and three strikeouts in five innings, taking the defeat in a 7-5 loss to the Indians on Wednesday, also at Miller Park.
This will be Heston’s first appearance against Milwaukee. Heston, who no-hit the New York Mets on June 9, allowed just one hit in 7.1 shutout innings Tuesday in a 9-3 win at San Diego, walking two and striking out six.
Game time Monday is 9:15 p.m. Central.
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