EditorsNote: Fixes Vargas' name in ninth graph
Zach Davies pitched seven strong innings, Orlando Arcia had the go-ahead hit in a three-run eighth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 on Thursday night in Phoenix.
Davies (8-2) and Arizona counterpart Merrill Kelly each allowed one run in seven innings, but the Brewers broke through in the eighth against reliever Yoan Lopez (1-3).
Eric Thames led off with a ground-rule double, advancing to third on Keston Hiura's single that bounced off the glove of Lopez. Arcia, who had one hit in his previous 18 at-bats, delivered a sharp single to center to give Milwaukee a 2-1 lead.
Hiura stole third and Arcia second on a double steal, with Hiura scoring after catcher Carson Kelly's throwing error. Pinch hitter Jesus Aguilar drove in Arcia from third on a sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead.
Ryan Braun hit his 14th home run of the season in the ninth off T.J. McFarland.
Milwaukee reliever Jeremy Jeffress got out of a jam in the eighth with an inning-ending double play, and Matt Albers worked a perfect ninth.
The Diamondbacks hit into three inning-ending double plays.
Merrill Kelly threw 93 pitches, giving up three hits, striking out six and walking none. Davies scattered five hits and three walks and benefited from Lorenzo Cain's brilliant night in center.
He took a home run away from Eduardo Escobar in the first inning, leaping to reach above the wall to the right of the 413-foot sign in center. Two innings later, Cain denied Merrill Kelly his first major league hit by making a running over-the-shoulder catch. And in the seventh, with Nick Ahmed the go-ahead run at first, he made another over-the-shoulder snag on a ball hit by Ildemaro Vargas as Ahmed had already rounded second.
Each team scored one run in the second. Mike Moustakas led off with a triple high off the wall in center field and scored for a 1-0 lead on Braun's sacrifice fly.
Christian Walker led off the bottom of the inning with a walk, stole second on a huge jump against Davies and came home on Jake Lamb's single to center.
--Field Level Media
