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Gallardo, Brewers edge Diamondbacks 3-2

May 8, 2010 - 6:05 AM By MATT PAULSON AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX(AP) -- Yovani Gallardo reached double digits in strikeouts for the second straight game and won his fourth straight decision. He still sees a lot of room for improvement.

"A win is a win. Obviously I wanted to go a lot deeper in the game," said Gallardo, who was pulled after five innings of the Milwaukee Brewers' 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night due to a pitch count of 103.

Gallardo (4-2) said his command was off, but he continued his strikeout tear with 10, including five in a row at one point. He has reached double digits in strikeouts in three of his last four starts, a team record, and has struck out 35 and allowed only three earned runs over his last 23 innings.

"He made a lot of good pitches tonight that they couldn't even bite on," said Jim Edmonds, who hit a solo homer in the fourth inning. "It's impressive to watch."

Rickie Weeks also homered, and Ryan Braun scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch in the fifth inning, giving Gallardo just enough offense.

Gallardo went to a 3-2 count eight times against the patient Diamondbacks but found a way to get out of all but one inning unscathed.

"I had to battle out there," Gallardo said. "It was a crazy night."

Arizona scored its only runs in the third inning. Cole Gillespie led off with his first career home run, and Gallardo later walked three straight after a single by pitcher Edwin Jackson.

After issuing a free pass to Adam LaRoche to give the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead, Gallardo got out of the jam by striking out Chris Young on three pitches, starting his run of five straight strikeouts.

"That's a little mind boggling," manager Ken Macha said.

Jackson (1-4) dropped his third straight decision after allowing three runs in seven innings.

It was his best outing of late - he had given up 18 runs in 6 1-3 innings in his last two starts combined - but he didn't get enough support. Arizona was limited to four hits.

Jackson had no one to blame but himself for the deciding run.

Braun reached base with a double to left and advanced to third when Joe Inglett, trying to score from first on the hit, was thrown out at home by shortstop Stephen Drew.

Then with two outs and Prince Fielder at-bat, Braun scored on a wild pitch.

"I was just trying to keep the ball down," Jackson said. "Two strikes with Fielder you're just trying to throw something down, and it was just one of those pitches that couldn't be blocked."

Trevor Hoffman pitched the ninth inning for his fifth save in nine attempts.

Gillespie walked with one out in the ninth, but Hoffman got pinch-hitter Justin Upton to ground into a double play to end the game.

Edmonds, who was out of baseball last year after dealing with a variety of injuries the previous three seasons, ended an 0-for-11 skid with his second homer of the year to make it 2-all in the fourth.

Weeks hit a deep drive to left field in the third for the game's first run.

NOTES: Brewers CF Carlos Gomez underwent a MRI which revealed a strained left rotator cuff Friday, manager Ken Macha said before the game. He is day to day. Gomez was injured Wednesday against the Dodgers when he went down while attempting to get back to second base during a rundown between second and third. ... Brewers relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins (0-3), who surrendered Andre Ethier's ninth-inning grand slam Thursday, has a 42.43 ERA in his three losses and a 0.96 ERA in his 10 other appearances. ... Gillespie was a third-round draft pick of the Brewers in 2006.