September 14 – The Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks finally face off in Game 147 of the 2024 season.
The final contest of the season between the two teams from last season’s National League wild-card round continues on Saturday night, as the Brewers and Diamondbacks clash in Phoenix.
Milwaukee (85-62) won 2-1 on Friday night in the first of seven meetings in 10 games between the two teams.
After the series concludes on Sunday, the two clubs will face off in four games beginning Thursday in Milwaukee.
Arizona is now 82-65 and reached the World Series last October after winning the wild-card round in two games.
But the Brewers have a chance to seal the series on Saturday after Rhys Hoskins hit a two-run homer in Friday’s win at Milwaukee. It was his 24th outburst this season.
The Brewers are 10 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central Division, but Hoskins doesn’t want to discuss the big picture.
“We have to win (Saturday),” he said. “It’s easy to look ahead. We have a good Diamondbacks team and we’ll try to win the series (Saturday).”
Milwaukee allowed no hits and no runs in four innings out of the bullpen in the opening round, quieting Arizona’s high-octane offense, which had allowed 32 runs in its first three games. The Diamondbacks had just one baserunner against the Brewers.
“Our defense is very good and the bullpen is very, very good,” Milwaukee head coach Pat Murphy said.
The Diamondbacks’ three-game winning streak was snapped. Arizona had only six hits after allowing 13 extra-base hits, including five homers, in its last game on Wednesday against the Texas Rangers.
“I’m not upset with the approach, it’s just that the results didn’t come,” Arizona head coach Torey Lovullo said of the offense. “We’ve got to keep working hard.”
The loss was costly and leaves the Diamondbacks a half-game behind the San Diego Padres in the race for the National League’s top wild-card spot. Arizona is only one game ahead of the New York Mets and two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves.
Christian Walker had four hits and three bases for the Diamondbacks. But he also made a major base-running error in the third inning.
Walker doubled with two outs, Pavin Smith walked on a full pitch and the ball bounced past Brewers catcher William Contreras. Walker tried to advance to third but Contreras threw him out, ending the inning.
Diamondbacks reinforcements are on the way. Lovullo said before the game that outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (calf) and catcher Gabriel Moreno (adductor) would have a game at the practice facility on Saturday.
Brewers rookie right-hander Tobias Myers (7-5, 2.93 ERA) will try to build on the best start of his career on Sept. 7 when he struck out 11 batters and allowed four runs in six innings while beating the Colorado Rockies.
It was Myers’ first win since July 10, when he allowed four hits in eight innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
This will be the first time in the 26-year-old Myers’ career against Arizona.
The Diamondbacks will start with right-hander Brandon Pfadt (9-8, 4.42), who has lost two of his last three starts after winning five in a row.
Paffit, 25, lost to the Houston Astros on Sept. 6 when he allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He has a 7.80 ERA in his past three starts.
Paffit never faced the Brewers in the regular season. Last year, he started Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against Milwaukee and allowed three runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings but was unable to get a decision.
–Visual-level media
