Brewers end three-game losing streak
PHOENIX -- Milwaukee out-hit Arizona in every game of their four-game weekend series. On Sunday, it finally paid off in a victory for the Brewers.
Logan Schafer had two hits, including a home run, and drove in two runs in support of Milwaukee starter Wily Peralta as the Brewers came away with a 5-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Milwaukee lost the first three games of the series despite getting 25 hits to Arizona's 15. The win ended the Brewers' three-game losing streak.
"I just like being able to contribute to a team and get us some more wins. This isn't an individual game. The better I do, though, the better the team will probably do. If that's getting on base, moving runners, scoring a run, or playing good defense, those are the things I am trying to do to get us a win," said Schafer, who also scored twice.
Schafer, who has spent a lot of time recently filling in for left fielder Ryan Braun, is hitting .313 with five doubles, two homers and seven RBIs while starting the last 13 games, including 11 in left field.
He singled and scored in the first inning, sacrificed home a run in the second and hit his second home run of the season in the fifth to help the Brewers (38-56) to a 5-0 lead.
"It's good to close out the first half like this. We've had some tough games here. We had a really, really good outing of Wily again," Schafer said.
Peralta (7-9) gave up seven hits and struck out eight for his second straight victory. His 2-0 shutout over Cincinnati last Tuesday snapped the Brewers' major-league-record streak of 407 games without a complete game.
"His sliders were down in the zone, and he got some chases. I was impressed with what he did," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said.
Arizona catcher Miguel Montero snapped Peralta's scoreless streak with a home run leading off the fifth inning to make it 5-1. Montero had homers in consecutive games for the first time since July 31-Jug. 1, 2012.
Milwaukee All-Star shortstop Jean Segura had three hits and a walk, finishing the first half with an NL-high 121 hits.
Leadoff hitter Norichica Aoki had two hits and scored a run, and the first four batters in the Brewers' order were 8-for-15 with four runs and four RBIs. The Brewers out-hit the D-backs 9-8.
"When we can get three runs early, we feel like we have enough pitching to keep them there. It should turn out well, and it did," Roenicke said.
Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Hill had two hits apiece for Arizona (50-45), which had won three in a row and eight of its last 11 and will enter the break with a 2 1/2-game in the NL West.
"Peralta threw a good game against us. Give him credit for shutting us down. We tried to chip away and we couldn't do it," Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said.
Aoki, Schafer, Segura and Carlos Gomez opened the game with singles off Ian Kennedy (3-6), who is 0-3 with a 6.58 ERA in seven starts since his last victory June 1. Gomez's single drove in two runs, and a third run scored on an infield groundout.
Schafer had a sacrifice bunt with runners on the corners to drive in a run for a 4-0 lead in the second inning, and he led off the fifth with a homer off Kennedy for a 5-0 lead.
"It's frustrating when you give up singles here and there, but I try to be as confident as possible. I'm not pitching to my abilities every time. Inconsistent would probably be the word," Kennedy said.
NOTES: As expected, LF Ryan Braun was not with the Brewers for the final game of the first half Sunday, remaining on the bereavement list. Roenicke said he expects Braun to return for the Miami series that begins Friday in Miller Park. ... The D-backs were seeking a season sweep of the Brewers after taking a three-game series April 5-7 in Milwaukee. ... Arizona has won 50 games at the All-Star break for the fifth time. The franchise record is 52, set in 2003. ... Gibson set his rotation for the three-game series at San Francisco immediately after the All-Star break: RHP Ian Kennedy on Friday, LHP Wade Miley on Saturday and RHP Randall Delgado on Sunday. All-Star LHP Patrick Corbin will start again July 23, Gibson said, to give him a break after throwing 130 ? innings. ... Arizona LHP Eury De La Rosa made his major-league debut by retiring all six batters he faced, striking out three. ... Milwaukee will start RHP Kyle Lohse on Friday and RHP Yovani Gallardo on Saturday in the Miami series after the break, Roenicke said.
