D-backs Blow 4-0 Lead to Brewers, Lose 7-5

The Diamondbacks blew a 4-0 lead tonight losing to the Brewers 7-5. Ketel Marte provided most of the offense to give the D-backs the lead. Unfortunately his poor decisions on defense led to a bases loaded no out situation in the 7th inning and the Brewers capitalized by scoring four runs in the inning to complete the comeback. Box Score

The D-backs got to Brewers starter Colin Rea early. Marte hit a ground rule double and scored on a Corbin Carroll base hit up the middle in the first inning. Then in the second inning Marte came up with two outs and two on and hit a laser beam home run, his 11th of the year, staking starter Ryne Nelson to a four run lead.

D-backs starter Ryne Nelson started off well, retiring the side in order on eight pitches in the first. But as has been the pattern all season for him, the second inning was a struggle. A leadoff single by Willy Adames and doubles by Brian Anderson and Luis Urias resulted in one run. The second double hung up a bit and it looked like Carroll might get to it, so Brian Anderson who was on second base held up and didn't score. Nelson got out of the it with pop out and strikeout to limit the damage.

He retired the side in order in the third inning, with some help from a great diving stop and throw from third baseman Evan Longoria, playing in his first game since last Wednesday. That success did not last however. Adames led off the fourth inning for a second time and then Nelson left a 3-1 fastball up and out over the plate to Jesse Winker. The pitch was crushed 416 feet to dead center off the batters eye for a two-run homer, shrinking the lead to 4-3.

Nelson came back out for the fifth and retired the side in order for the third time in the game. It was a mixed outing, giving up three runs in five innings on six hits with plenty of loud contact. At the same time he didn't walk a batter and struck out six. Minus one bad pitch to Winker and this would be a completely different game story.

The D-backs got a run in the top of the fifth to give the bullpen some cushion, but it wasn't enough. Austin Adams worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning, striking out two. Thanks to some poor pitch calling, Adams started the seventh inning off with a walk to Luis Urias. Ball four was a pitch that should have been called strike three, as it clearly caught the bottom of the zone. Home plate umpire Stu Scheurwater had been calling pitches there a strike all game, but not that at bat.

Adams also had the next batter, Blake Perkins, struck out, but another blown strike three call once again cost the D-backs.

It was at that point the wheels fell off for the Diamondbacks. Marte fielded a chopper from Perkins, glanced towards second base with the thought to get the lead runner, changed his mind and threw to first too late as the speedy Perkins crossed the bag for an infield hit. The very next batter Joey Weimer hit a ground to the right of the bag that Marte made a nice stop on, but elected to throw to second instead of first where he had the easier out. Once again Perkins beat the throw and the Brewers had bases loaded with nobody out. Out come Torey Lovullo to replace Adams with lefty Kyle Nelson.

Nelson got Christian Yelich to hit a come backer and took the sure out at first as Urias scored from third. William Contreras got a middle-middle slider from Nelson and lined a double on one hop to the left center field wall, scoring Perkins and Joey Weimer. That gave the Brewers the lead. One more run came home on a fielders choice. Even that play was questionable for the D-backs. Longoria had a play at home on the slow hopper, but tried to get the inning ending double play, getting only the force at second instead.

After the game Torey Lovullo said "we usually do a good job of executing, but tonight we didn't do that, and it cost us." Speaking of the Marte plays he said "he was just trying to make some plays and looked off in a couple situations instead of going directly to the base and getting the sure out. Of course we feel like we're in a different spot if we get that first out"

The umpire was not finished impacting the game. Lourdes Gurriel Jr led off the top of the 8th and pitches that were lower than the ones just called balls the previous half inning were suddenly being called strikes, resulting in a Gurriel strikeout.

Devin Williams pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 13th save despite walking a batter. The game ended on a Marte ground ball double play. The two teams will square off for the final time this regular season tomorrow morning at 11:10 A.M. Arizona Time when Zac Gallen faces Julio Teheran