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Arizona Diamondbacks beat Milwaukee Brewers in 10 innings

By Andrew Wagner, The Sports Xchange
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Chris Owings (16) throws to first and makes the out in the fifth inning. File photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Chris Owings (16) throws to first and makes the out in the fifth inning. File photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo

MILWAUKEE -- When things are going well, as they have been for the Arizona Diamondbacks lately, the unlikely suddenly becomes likely.

So it should not have been that much of a surprise to see Chris Iannetta blast a game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning, and to see Chris Owings score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the 10th as the Diamondbacks extended their winning streak to five games with a 4-2 victory over the Brewers at Miller Park on Friday.

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"This is the way baseball should be," said Iannetta. "It's not always going to happen but the way we're playing the game right now is the way you want to play the game. You want to play hard, you want to hustle, you want to pitch and play good defense. That's what we're doing."

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The Diamondbacks got plenty of good pitching and defense from Iannetta as well as starting pitcher Zack Godley, who threw six shutout innings while striking out six.

Junior Guerra started for the first time since straining his right calf on Opening Day and held the Diamondbacks to a run on five hits and three walks while striking out five over 5 2/3 innings of work.

The only blemish on his line came in the fourth on a solo home run by Jake Lamb that staked Godley to a 1-0.

Iannetta bailed him out of a big jam in the sixth, preventing the tying run from scoring when he scrambled to retrieve a breaking ball in the dirt in time to toss it back to Godley, who tagged a sliding Eric Thames to end the inning.

"It kicked off my wrist a little bit," Iannetta said. "I got to it as fast as I could, flipped it to Zack and he made a great tag. It's what you practice in spring; rarely with the timing do you get it to actually work but it was a scenario where it worked out."

Brewers manager Craig Counsell challenged the call but after nearly two minutes of review, it was upheld by the replay center in New York. Counsell was incensed by the decision and charged out of the dugout to argue with home plate umpire Jim Reynolds before he was ultimately ejected.

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"I just saw that, if you put the angles together, he didn't tag him on time, until he crossed the plate," Counsell said. "For whatever reason that's where the gray area comes in for them -- whoever's judging didn't want to overturn it."

Milwaukee finally got on the board in the seventh on a solo home run by Jett Bandy and took the lead in the eighth on an RBI single from Hernan Perez.

Corey Knebel came on to close it out in the ninth and made quick work of Yosmany Tomas and Brandon Drury, but missed his mark on a 1-1 fastball to Iannetta, who homered. Just like that, the game was tied.

"I thought he took a great approach on a 98 mph fastball and he did it without any reluctance," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "It speaks volumes about who he is. It was a very clutch moment."

After going down in order in the bottom of the ninth against T.J. McFarland, the Brewers turned to Wily Peralta to pitch the 10th.

He was making just his third relief appearance, and trouble found Peralta early as he allowed a leadoff double to Chris Owings. David Peralta's ground out moved Owings to third and he scored easily when Peralta's 1-1 offering to Lamb got past Bandy.

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Lamb followed with an RBI double, and Fernando Rodney slammed the door with a scoreless ninth for his 13th save. McFarland (2-0) got the win.

"That's a tough loss," Counsell said. "We battled back nicely and did a nice job. A guy hit a 98-mph fastball. Give them credit. Give Iannetta credit. It was a good swing on a tough pitch, and they put some runs on the board in the 10th."

NOTES: Brewers OF Ryan Braun was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday, just five days after he was activated. ... Braun's move to the DL cleared a roster spot for RHP Junior Guerra to return to action. Guerra has been sidelined since straining his right calf three innings into his Opening Day start. ... Diamondbacks LF Yasmany Tomas was back in the lineup Friday after missing two games with hip tightness. ... Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said OF AJ Pollock took batting practice Friday afternoon at the team's spring training complex but is still not expected to join team on the road trip. Pollock has been on the disabled list with a strained groin since May 15.

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