PHOENIX — Closer-for-the-night Brad Ziegler relished the opportunity to convert his first ninth-inning save situation of the season Thursday. But, really, any inning is fine with him.
Ziegler hit a batter and gave up a single, but he held the Milwaukee Brewers scoreless to preserve the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 5-3 victory. A day earlier, the Diamondbacks suffered their major-league-high 19th blown save of the season in a 7-5, 14-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“I honestly don’t care,” Ziegler said of his role. “It’s kind of cliche, but I just love being in the big leagues still. I still kind of pinch myself every once in a while.”
Martin Prado drove in two runs with a two-out, bases-loaded single in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and help Arizona (48-44) break three-game losing streak. The D-backs have won six of their last nine.
Brewers reliever Jim Henderson (3-3) walked Adam Eaton to open the eighth inning and intentionally walked National League RBI leader Paul Goldschmidt after a sacrifice bunt. Jason Kubel walked with two outs to bring up Prado.
“In that situation, I was ready to attack,” Prado said. “I was looking for a good pitch and not trying to do too much. I was thinking up the middle, and he gave me a good pitch to hit.”
Prado, who also doubled and scored in the fifth inning, is hitting .350 with 11 RBIs in his past 15 games.
“You load them up, Prado is a good hitter and got a high fastball,” Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. “What it really comes down to is they got a big hit and we didn’t. We had a couple of chances and we didn’t get big hits.”
Jonathan Lucroy hit his 12th home run and Carlos Gomez hit his 14th for Milwaukee (37-54), which has lost three of its last five.
Lucroy’s homer gave Milwaukee a 2-0 lead in the first, and Gomez made it 3-0 in the third. Lucroy has 50 RBIs, 48 as a catcher, the most at that position in the major leagues.
Arizona left-hander Wade Miley (6-7) surrendered three runs on eight hits in eight innings, but he gave up just one hit while blanking the Brewers in his final five innings. He has given up six runs in his last 28 2/3 innings over four starts, a 1.88 ERA.
“Everyone knows what happened last night,” Miley said. “I just wanted to go as deep as possible. I started feeling better as the game went on and got in a little better rhythm.”
Milwaukee starter Yovani Gallardo gave up three runs and four hits in six innings, the first time he has not won at Chase Field in five career starts. He was 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA in four starts here, 6-0 with a 1.62 ERA in eight career starts against Arizona entering the game.
Eaton’s two-run triple to left-center field on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the fifth inning cut Milwaukee’s lead to 3-2, and Jason Kubel’s sacrifice fly tied it at 3 in the sixth.
“It is definitely frustrating,” Gallardo said. “That 3-2 pitch on the triple, he basically threw his bat out there, just stuck it out there. That is how things are going.”
NOTES: LF Ryan Braun was placed on the bereavement list because of a family medical issue, the Brewers said. Braun must miss at least three games and is eligible to return for the final game of the Arizona series Sunday, the last game before the All-Star break. OF Caleb Gindl was recalled from Triple-A Nashville to take Braun’s spot on the roster. … Arizona optioned LHP Tyler Skaggs to Class A Visalia on Thursday, the day after his final start before the All-Star break. Skaggs, 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA in two July starts, is eligible to return on July 21, the D-backs’ third game after the break. He is likely to return to the rotation since the D-backs do not expect RHP Brandon McCarthy or RHP Trevor Cahill back until the end of July at the earliest, GM Kevin Towers said. Rookie LHP Eury De La Rosa was recalled from Triple-A Reno to replace Skaggs on the roster.