Coming into Saturday night's game, based on the pitching matchup, it should have been a battle of pitching wits. Both Zack Greinke and Wade Miley had five wins each and an ERA around 2.00, so most would have expected a low-scoring affair. Instead, 12 runs were scored in the first three innings and Greinke lasted only two and one-third innings, and the Arizona Diamondbacks evened the series with an 8-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee started the scoring in the top of the first inning when Jonathan Lucroy singled to drive in Corey Hart, who led off the game with a double.
However, Arizona responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. Gerardo Parra got the first of four hits of the night and was the first of four straight singles. Aaron Hill was next to get aboard, then both Justin Upton and Jason Kubel singled with runners in scoring position. The significance of that was that neither has been very effective in that situation in 2012, although Upton has been much much more opportunistic as of late.
Milwaukee jumped back on top with four runs in the third inning, only one of which was earned, against Miley. Norichika Aochi tripled and then scored on an RBI groundout by Ryan Braun. Lucroy doubled and Rickie Weeks walked, both advancing on a passed ball by Konrad Schmidt. Former D-back Cody Ransom then doubled in both runs. Ransom then came in to score on a throwing error by Ryan Roberts.
Arizona then responded by chasing Greinke in the bottom of the inning scoring five runs. After hits by Upton and Kubel and a walk to Paul Goldschmidt, Ryan Roberts walked with the bases loaded to drive in a run. Konrad Schmidt drove in a run with a ground ball force play, but then John McDonald had the crushing blow. He homered for the second time this season to clear the bases. Two batters later, after Wade Miley got a hit (to extend his hitting streak to seven games) and Gerardo Parra walked, Greinke was pulled. Arizona woudl not score again that inning.
Miley then calmed down and pitched through the sixth inning without allowing another run.
Arizona added a run on a double by Parra and a bloop single by Aaron Hill in the seventh inning, and Brad Ziegler, David Hernandez and J.J. Putz pitched the final three frames without giving up a run.
Putz picked up his 10th save of the season in 13 tries, giving Miley his sixth win of the year. He is 6-1 on the year and continues his surprising (and very necessary) season for the D-backs.
Greinke, who allowed seven runs on 10 hits in two innings and a third, fell to 5-2 on the year.
The rubber game of the series is Sunday afternoon at 1:10 PM Arizona time and Daniel Hudson should make his return for the Diamondbacks.