Diamondbacks play ‘terrible’ game in loss to Brewers

MILWAUKEE – A day after one of their best games of the season, the Diamondbacks played one of their worst. Or, at least, that was the way Zack Greinke seemed to see it on Saturday afternoon, after right-hander Chase Anderson took a no-hitter into the eighth inning to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-1 victory at Miller Park.

“It seems to me like the whole team played terrible today, including myself,” Greinke said. “I mean, (Anderson) almost threw a no-hitter and then we gave up six or seven runs, whatever it ended up being. It was a pretty bad game.”

Whether it does anything to stunt the Diamondbacks’ upward trajectory remains to be seen. Even with the loss, they’ve still won 10 of their past 12 games, including Friday night, when they tied the game in the ninth and won it in the 10th. If nothing else, the afternoon was one of the rare instances this season in which the Diamondbacks’ defensive shortcomings seemingly cost them in the win column.

BOX SCORE: Brewers 6, Diamondbacks 1

Leading off the fourth, the Brewers’ Eric Sogard took an off-balance swing at a Greinke change-up, lofting what appeared to be a harmless pop fly to shallow left field. Yasmany Tomas lumbered in, then pulled up as it dropped in front of him.

“He didn’t close on the ball,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.

Sogard hustled into second, turning a ball that’s an out 92 percent of the time, according to Baseball Savant’s Statcast data, into a leadoff double. Did Lovullo think Tomas could have made a play?

“I did,” Lovullo said. “Those are things that we’re working on with him, first-step quickness and closing on balls. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about it. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the play. Those are things we’re dealing with, and we know there are some limitations with him. Hopefully, those moments won’t happen again and we’re going to figure it out.”

The Brewers turned it into a big inning. Greinke issued walks to Jesus Aguilar and Travis Shaw to load the bases, then threw six consecutive breaking balls to Jett Bandy before trying to beat him with a fastball.

“I was trying to be too smart, probably,” Greinke said.

Bandy turned on it, sending it over Tomas’ head and one-hopping the wall for a bases-clearing double.

“I made a really bad pitch,” Greinke said. “I really shouldn’t have thrown that pitch when I did, where I did. It was more of a mental mistake than a physical mistake. It was not the right pitch, and it didn’t work out good.”

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That was all the support Anderson needed. After issuing back-to-back walks to start the game, Anderson retired the next three batters – including strikeouts of Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb – to escape trouble.

Then, using the same pitch mix he employed during his two seasons with the Diamondbacks – albeit with a few extra ticks on his fastball – he proceeded to carve up his ex-teammates for the next six innings.

With his pitch count climbing – he entered the eighth having thrown 111 pitches – Anderson gave up a leadoff single to Nick Ahmed, the Diamondbacks’ first hit of the game.

Anderson, who was traded to the Brewers as part of the Jean Segura deal prior to last season, said there’s always extra adrenaline when he faces his former team.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” he said. “I kind of want to have that little chip on your shoulder of, ‘You traded me away, I want to show you what you’re missing out on’ kind of thing.”

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Anderson’s average fastball of 95.4 mph was nearly a 1.5 mph higher than his previous single-game best, according to Brooks Baseball. He points to a firmer weight transfer in his delivery that has allowed him to get more behind his fastball in recent starts.

“Sometimes I left my leg and I get a little wobbly on the back leg,” he said. “If I’m more firm, that ends up making me more firm out front and your arm is in a better position to make pitches in the zone.”

The lively fastball helped make Anderson more effective, Goldschmidt said, but there was more behind the outing than that.

“He was able to blow some fastballs by guys, if you want to put it that way, but that’s because his off-speed was good,” he said. “He was using his curveball for a strike, his change-up, even his cutter/slider. I think I saw him do that when he was with us, too. You can’t guess with him because he can use any pitch at any time.”

Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.

Sunday’s game

Diamondbacks at Brewers 

When: 11:10 a.m.

Where: Miller Park, Milwaukee.

Pitchers: Diamondbacks LHP Patrick Corbin (4-4, 4.40) vs. Brewers RHP Jimmy Nelson (2-3, 4.20).

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM (98.7), KHOV-FM (105.1).

Corbin posted his first quality start in May on Tuesday against the White Sox, giving up three runs in six innings at Chase Field. In four starts this month, Corbin has a 7.77 ERA, with seven homers allowed in 22 innings. He allowed just three home runs in his first six starts. … Corbin started last year at Miller Park, giving up four runs in five innings. He has a career 3.60 ERA in 30 innings against the Brewers. … Nelson lasted just five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk, against the Blue Jays in his most recent start. Prior to that, he’d pitched into the seventh inning in back-to-back outings. … He’s faced the Diamondbacks four times in his career, allowing 19 runs (12 earned) in 22 innings. … He has a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s to go with a slider, curveball and change-up. 

Coming up

Monday: At Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m., Diamondbacks Randall Delgado (1-0, 3.82) vs. Pirates RHP Trevor Williams (2-3, 5.93).

Tuesday: At Pittsburgh, 4:05 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (4-3, 3.45) vs. Pirates RHP Ivan Nova (5-3, 2.83).

Wednesday: At Pittsburgh, 9:35 a.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zack Godley (1-1, 1.99) vs. Pirates RHP Chad Kuhl (1-5, 6.29).