Arizona Diamondbacks 5, Milwaukee Brewers 6: Spoiled Brew

Oct 4, 2022 - 7:25 AM

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Sooooooo my last recap was supposed to be this past Friday, but I fell asleep by 8:00 PM during that doozy of a loss in San Francisco. Forever a glutton for punishment, I decided I would step up for this game to repent for my sins. Yay.

Tommy Henry took the mound looking to correct course after a consecutive trio of stinker starts. Over his last thirteen innings pitched over those three games, he had allowed seventeen earned runs. Tonight was a return to the form we saw over his first handful of MLB starts earlier this season.

After pitching a spotless first inning, Christian Yelich tagged Henry for a solo home run to begin the second inning. The Bally Sports broadcast had mentioned how much Yelich’s performance has dropped over the past few seasons and it is remarkable. Following his MVP 2018 season and MVP runner-up 2019 season, he is the owner of a lackluster for him .742 OPS, 4.3 bWAR total over those seasons while making roughly $25 million per 650 plate appearances. Not good. Henry walked Andrew McCutchen after the Yelich home run, but settled down with a double play and pop out to end the inning.

Meanwhile, Brandon Woodruff was cutting the D’backs down with three strikeouts against his first six batters faced. However, Arizona retaliated with a solo home run of their own from Cooper Hummel in the third inning to tie the game at one. Both pitchers went toe-to-toe from there with neither allowing a run until the fifth inning. Speedster Corbin Carroll got that inning started with a lead off triple. Sergio Alcantara brought him in to score immediately with a deep sacrifice fly to give the snakes the lead which they would hold until the bottom of the ninth. Milwaukee had an extra base hit of their own in the inning on a Luis Urias double, but nothing would come of it.

Craig Counsell pulled Brandon Woodruff for Hob Milner in the seventh inning, and the Diamondbacks capitalized on the fresh arm. Christian Walker hit a double that bounced around in the right field corner leading off the frame and was advanced to third on a sac bunt from Josh Rojas. Sergio Alcantara then belted his second loud flyball of the night, but this time it cleared the wall giving Arizona a four to one lead.

Lovullo also went to his bullpen in the bottom of the seventh bringing an end to a rebounding solid start by Tommy Henry. All told, he went six and a third innings giving up the hits and a walk on five strikeouts. Joe Mantiply came on for the save in the bottom of the ninth and was nowhere near the all star form he displayed during the first half. His very first pitch to Hunter Renfroe was turned around inside out and over the wall in center field cutting the lead to two runs. Christian Yelich singled for his second hit of the game to follow, and a one out wild pitch advanced him to second. A walk to Kolten Wong put the force out at any base setting up a potential game ending double play. Instead, Rowdy Tellez grounded out to first which put both runners in scoring position with two outs.

What ultimately did the D’backs in was what you would least suspect. Christian Walker, who has been so solid defensively all season and is a Gold Glove favorite, could not handle a Victor Caratini ground ball which allowed both Brewer runs to score sending the game into extra innings. With Cooper Hummel on second as the bonus runner to begin the tenth, Geraldo Perdomo pushed him to third with a sacrifice bunt. Wisconsin native Daulton Varsho singled him home to once again give Arizona the lead.

Reyes Moronta, who concluded the ninth, was left in the game in hopes to put Milwaukee to rest once and for all, but it would not be. Milwaukee finalized their comeback effort with a walk and consecutive singles to cap a four to one comeback for the five to six victory.

FanGraphs