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Diamondbacks can't deliver in extra innings, fall to Brewers
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- Diamondbacks can't deliver in extra innings, fall to Brewers
The Diamondbacks ' defense had been outstanding the entire night on Friday, July 3, against the National League Central Division-leading Milwaukee Brewers .
That is, until relief pitcher Ryan Thompson , trying desperately to throw out a runner a home plate with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the 11th inning at Chase Field, lost his balance and threw wildly to the plate, the ball getting away and allowing two key runs to score.
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That was all the Brewers needed to defeat the Diamondbacks , though Brice Turang added a two-run single and Milwaukee won the series opener, 7-4.
"We should have won this game," Thompson said, noting that the not-so-funny part about what happened was that the Diamondbacks had, for the first time in a while, worked on pitchers throwing to home plate in pregame warmups.
"Looking back on it, I need to eat that ball, need to not risk the throw," Thompson said. "Knowing that we're going to come up in the bottom of the next inning and have a good chance to tie the game. Bad mistake on my part, but in the moment, I believe in myself 1,000 percent to make the play."
"He's just trying to make a play. He's a very good defender," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said of Thompson.
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The right-hander couldn't make the perfect pitch against the next hitter, either.
"The Turang at-bat, I just think it was bad pitch selection on my part," Thompson said. "That whole sequence and (at-bat), I would do over. So I kind of put myself in a bad spot. The sinker that he hit was probably poorly executed, but at the same time, I didn't want to put him on. I believed in my sinker to get him out."
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. 's home run-robbing catch in the top of the third inning kept the Diamondbacks in the game, and Arizona (43-44) had chances to take the lead or win late.
But despite some critical defensive plays, including a double play with runners on first and third that ended the Milwaukee fourth inning and a bunt attempt in which catcher Gabriel Moreno threw out the Brewers' Jake Bauers straying too far off third base in the eighth inning, the Diamondbacks couldn't take a lead.
In the ninth, with Paul Sewald in to pitch, first baseman Ildemaro Vargas stumbled on a ground ball, but Ketel Marte was there to back him up and throw to Sewald just in time for the first out. Then Gurriel made a tough catch near the wall in left field.
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In the 10th inning, a diving stop by Vargas got the Diamondbacks the second out, and right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke pumped his fist after throwing out the Brewers' Blake Perkins at first base on a little bouncer down the line.
The Diamondbacks had runners at first and second with no outs in a 3-3 game in the bottom of the 10th, but could not come up with the winning hit. Lovullo chose to have hot-hitting catcher Gabriel Moreno swing away instead of laying down a sacrifice bunt, and Moreno grounded into a double play.
"I just felt like the right guy in the right situation was there to help us win the game," Lovullo said.
The bullpen held the Brewers scoreless for 6 2/3 innings, six pitchers combining to allow only four hits. But Thompson (3-2) was charged with four runs, two earned, in the 11th.
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Milwaukee took a 3-0 lead on Garrett Mitchell 's second-inning, two-run home run off Diamondbacks starter José Cabrera, and added another on Bauers' RBI single in the top of the third.
Moreno's two-out single in the bottom of the third gave the Diamondbacks their first run of the game. Then, with the bases loaded against Kyle Harrison , one of Milwaukee's top pitchers, Nolan Arenado delivered a two-run double off the base of the fence in front of the Arizona bullpen in left field.
The Brewers came into the game 21 games above .500 and in firm control of first place in the NL Central. But Harrison was knocked out of the game after the Arenado double, pitching only 2 2/3 innings.
Gurriel Jr. had the catch of the day, leaping above the wall to take a sure home run away from Mitchell in the third inning. Had the ball gone into the stands, it would have been a three-run home run and a 6-0 Brewers lead.
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"We talk about doing things defensively," Lovullo said. "I want to say thank you to the fans for getting out of the way. That's part of being a good fan here, and allowed him to make that play."
Cabrera left in the top of the fourth inning with runners on second and third. Reliever Jonathan Loaisiga made just one pitch, inducing a double play ground ball from Jackson Chourio .
"Couldn't find a consistent release point. He was falling behind in counts," Lovullo said of Cabrera, noting that something was wrong with his delivery.
"There was one click off in his delivery. We'll get that squared away."
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Right-hander Kevin Ginkel relieved Loaisiga and pitched a scoreless sixth. Juan Morillo did the same in the seventh inning, followed by Garcia, Sewald and Clarke.
-José M. Romero
Updates on McCann, Carroll, Sewald
Catcher James McCann played seven innings for Triple-A Reno on Thursday night, July 2, getting four at-bats. He was set to take Friday, July 3, off before he plays on Saturday and Sunday for the Aces, Lovullo said before the team hosted the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night.
Outfielder Corbin Carroll is dealing with a sore ankle but was in the lineup Friday.
"Plays super hard, whether it's rolling the ankle or sliding hard into a base," Lovullo said of Carroll. "Running things down in the outfield. There's always a minimal concern that he's going to come up a little achy. But he's doing fine. He's going through his process, everything's the same."
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Sewald felt better after dealing with illness earlier in the week, Lovullo said.
-José M. Romero
Coming up
Saturday, July 4:At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (5-8, 5.84) vs. Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (2-1, 2.59).
Sunday, July 5:At Chase Field, 1 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-2, 2.21) vs. Brewers RHP Brandon Sproat (3-4, 5.28).
Monday, July 6:At San Diego , 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 5.40) vs. Padres RHP Walker Buehler (5-4, 4.61).
(This story has been updated to add information.)
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks can't deliver in extra innings, fall to Brewers
