Diamondbacks blow 8-run lead vs. Brewers to let sweep slip away

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers overcame an eight-run deficit and avoided a series sweep, rallying for a 10-9 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. For the D-backs, Sunday set a franchise record for largest blown lead in a defeat.

The Brewers trailed 8-0 in the third before chipping away and tying that game at 9-9 by scoring three runs with two outs in the eighth inning. Jackson Chourio walked, took second on Blake Perkins’ single and scored on Garrett Mitchell’s RBI single to make it 9-7. Justin Martinez (5-6) relieved Joe Mantiply and Rhys Hoskins tied it with a two-run single to left.

Willy Adames doubled and Hoskins advanced to third base before pinch hitter Jake Bauers hit the go-ahead slow-rolling grounder for a single to the left side.

“The Brewers don’t shut down with two outs,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “They get even more stubborn with two outs. They did it to us for several days at Chase (Field) and it continued today.”

Jared Koenig (9-4) earned the win and the Brewers’ Devin Williams worked a scoreless ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances.

“If you slice it up any possible way, you can’t give up seven runs in three innings,” Lovullo said. “You’re going to lose a lot of baseball that way, if that’s what is coming out of your bullpen. That is not our bullpen. They’re going to pick it up.”

Arizona (87-69) entered Sunday two games behind San Diego for the top NL Wild Card, and a game in front of the New York Mets, who play Sunday night against Philadelphia. Milwaukee (89-67), which clinched the NL Central title Wednesday, remained the only team in the major leagues this season without a losing streak of four or more games.

Randal Grichuk’s pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth off Koenig put Arizona up 9-6. Mitchell answered with an RBI single in the bottom half.

Josh Bell and Eugenio Suárez homered in a seven-run third inning off Milwaukee starter Frankie Montas (7-12), who lasted just 2.2 innings. Geraldo Perdomo tripled into the corner in right field with one out and raced home on an errant throw by second baseman Brice Turang.

Arizona loaded the bases on a single, walk and catcher’s interference. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. followed with an RBI ground-out and Jake McCarthy delivered a two-run single to right, giving Arizona a 5-0 lead.

Bell followed with his 19th homer, a 436-foot shot to center, and Suarez added his 29th homer to put the Diamondbacks in front 8-0.

Montas was tagged for eight runs, seven earned, on six hits, with two walks and four strikeouts.

Ketel Marte put the Diamondbacks up 1-0 with one out in the first with his career-high 35th home run.

Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno was removed in the fourth inning with left adductor tightness.

Diamondbacks’ next game

Diamondbacks left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (3-3, 5:09 ERA) starts for Arizona on Monday in the opener of a three-game series against San Francisco, opposed by right-hander Hayden Birdsong (4-5, 4.74).

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