by Nick Piecoro - May. 26, 2012 10:45 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com
Reflecting on the state of his struggling team, General Manager Kevin Towers talked before Saturday's game about how hard it has been for the Diamondbacks to play clean games.
D-Backs vs. Brewers series | Box score | 
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If they were to play well and lose, Towers was saying, he could handle it. He wouldn't like it, but he'd be able to stomach it. But by and large, the bulk of the losses that have filled the season's first two months haven't unfolded that way.
Saturday night felt like more of the same. The Diamondbacks committed a key error. They ran into outs on the bases. Their starting pitcher barely got through six innings.
Only this time they had John McDonald to come to the rescue.
It might not be a formula they can count on for the next four months, but no one was complaining after coming away with an 8-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field.
McDonald's stunning three-run home run capped a five-run third inning off Brewers right-hander Zack Greinke. It came immediately after the Brewers had scored four times in the top of the third, an inning helped along by a throwing error by third baseman Ryan Roberts.
And so the Diamondbacks head into Sunday's rubber match with a chance to win a series. If they can pull it off, it will stop a six series losing skid at Chase Field, the longest such streak in franchise history. The Diamondbacks have lost six of seven series at home and are 9-15 overall.
"It's surprising to me how we're playing at home," Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall said shortly after a news conference to announce Miguel Montero's $60 million contract extension.
"That was our strength last year and it was certainly our strength to start the season. I know we have the talent on our roster and we're going to get hot here at some point. I just know it."
The Diamondbacks have had trouble lining things up this season. When their starters throw well, they don't hit. When they hit, they don't pitch.
"We keep spinning our wheels," Towers said. "Hopefully, we find a way out of it. Hopefully the healthier we get that'll help some. But as a whole we haven't played real good baseball. It's not just injuries."
This wasn't a textbook win. They started the bottom of the first by scoring two runs on four consecutive singles off Greinke, but then struck out three consecutive times to end the inning. An inning later, Gerardo Parra was picked off first base with runners on the corners and one out.
Later, they stranded a runner on second after a leadoff double and Parra made yet another baserunning error, getting doubled off first on a line drive to shortstop.
But there were positives. Parra tied a career high with four hits. Aaron Hill hit several balls hard.
And then there was McDonald's shot. After falling behind 0-2, he got a hanging breaking ball from Greinke and hooked it to left field, where it barely cleared the wall for his second home run.
His teammates, who love to poke fun at the undersized and normally light-hitting McDonald, were all smiles as they waited for him in the dugout.
Rewind
Target practice: Right fielder Justin Upton was hit squarely in the back with a fastball from Brewers right-hander Mike McClendon in the third inning.
He didn't seem pleased. After briefly going down, he quickly got to his feet and stared at McClendon.
On Friday night, three Brewers hitters were plunked by Diamondbacks pitchers, including third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who was scratched from Saturday night's starting lineup after being drilled with a pitch on his elbow.
Miley's night: Left-hander Wade Miley needed 108 pitches, and he needed to pitch out of several jams, but the rookie got through six innings, setting things up for the Diamondbacks bullpen to close out the win.
He didn't get much help from teammates in the second inning. Catcher Konrad Schmidt was charged with a passed ball and third baseman Ryan Roberts committed a throwing error.
Familiar face: Cody Ransom delivered a key hit, only he did it for the Brewers. Three days after being claimed on waivers from the Diamondbacks, Ransom pulled a double past Roberts at third to drive in two runs.
Ransom struck out in his other three at-bats.
View from the press box
Kirk Gibson talked before the game about wanting to establish a set lineup, about needing the players who got them to the playoffs last season to start producing again. Reading between the lines, it sounded as if he'd already pulled the plug on Josh Bell at third base and wanted to give a few guys -- maybe Ryan Roberts, Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Hill -- one more chance before going in a different direction. We'll see much longer of a leash they get.
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