The Associated Press
PHOENIX â€" Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart homered and Yovani Gallardo maintained his mastery of Arizona on Friday night in the Milwaukee Brewers' 7-1 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Gallardo (3-4) held the Diamondbacks to one run and five hits through 7 1-3 innings to improve to 6-0 in six career starts against Arizona. That doesn't count a victory over the Diamondbacks and Ian Kennedy in last year's divisional playoffs.
Kennedy (3-5) was the loser Friday night, too. The Arizona right-hander, a 21-game winner last season, allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings in his fifth straight loss. The Diamondbacks lost at home for the 10th time in 12 games and 15th in their last 19.
Jason Kubel homered on his 30th birthday for Arizona.
Milwaukee shortstop Cesar Izturis strained his left hamstring and left the game for a pinch-runner in the sixth inning.
Kennedy retired the first five batters before Weeks, entering the game hitting .155, hit a 2-1 pitch into the seats in left-center field, his fifth homer of the season.
The Brewers added three runs in the fourth. Nyjer Morgan led off with a single, then Braun's opposite-field shot to right field â€" his 13th homer â€" put Milwaukee up 3-0. Aramis Ramirez followed with a single. After two outs, Travis Ishikawa was hit by a pitch, then Izturis' RBI single to center made it 4-0.
Gallardo didn't allow a hit until Kennedy's single off the glove of Weeks, the second baseman, with one out in the third. The runner was erased by the Brewers' second double play of the game.
Kubel's home run onto the porch in right-center cut the lead to 4-1 in the fourth. The Brewers tacked on two runs in the seventh when Hart homered off Josh Collmenter.
It could easily have been even more one-sided. Milwaukee left the bases loaded without scoring in the fifth and sixth
In the fifth, the Brewers reached on a hit batter, intentional walk and shortstop Willie Bloomquist's error but Weeks grounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.
Izturis doubled in the sixth. Corey Hart followed with a two-out single, but Izturis held up at third, then left the game with the hamstring injury, replaced by recently released Diamondback Cody Ransom. Kennedy's night ended after he walked Morgan to load the bases and bring up Braun. Sidearm reliever Brad Ziegler got the Brewers slugger to bounce out to shortstop.
Arizona loaded the bases with one out in the eighth but Ryan Roberts bounced into the Diamondbacks' fourth double play.
Kennedy struck out seven, walked two, one intentionally, and hit two batters. Gallardo struck out five and walked three.
Before the game, a person with knowledge of the situation said the Diamondbacks had agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract with catcher Miguel Montero. Montero sat out his third straight game with a mild groin strain.
Notes: Kennedy has allowed seven home runs in his last four starts and has a 6.00 ERA in his five-game losing streak. ... Arizona manager Kirk Gibson confirmed that RHP Daniel Hudson will return from the DL to start Sunday's series finale. Hudson has been sidelined since April 21 with a right shoulder impingement. ... After three games in Arizona, the Brewers play a four-game series against the NL West-leading Dodgers in Los Angeles. ... In a strong pitching matchup Saturday night, the Diamondbacks send rookie LHP Wade Miley (5-1, 2.14) against Milwaukee RHP Zack Greinke (5-1, 2.70). ... Bloomquist went 0 for 3 to end an eight-game hitting streak.
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May 26, 2012 01:11 AM EDT
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