MILWAUKEE – Take a bases-loaded walk, mix in a 45-foot single and add to that a double that probably should have been ruled foul, and you have most of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offensive output on Friday night.
You also have a victory.
After giving up their second late-game lead in as many days, the Diamondbacks put together a rally of their own, scoring four times with two out in the eighth inning to come away with a 5-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers in front of 42,810 at Miller Park.
Ex-Arizona Wildcat Tony Clark’s two-run double to left field easily could have been called foul, but the Diamondbacks will take whatever offense they can get these days.
“The Justin hit was a big one,” Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. “We haven’t been getting too many breaks. He hits a little nubber out front of third and beats it out. Tony puts a good swing on the next ball. We’ll take it.”
Trailing 2-1 with two out in the eighth, Conor Jackson walked and Mark Reynolds singled off reliever Carlos Villanueva.
That brought up Justin Upton, whose topper off reliever Todd Coffey died in the grass halfway down the third base line. The infield single allowed Jackson to score the tying run.
Melvin then called upon Clark, who hit a line drive to left field that replays appear to show landed just foul. Third-base umpire Brian Gorman called it fair and Reynolds and Upton scored.
“I haven’t seen the replay yet,” Melvin said of Clark’s hit. “From what I heard, it hit the far side of the chalk. It’s not my call.”
Chris Snyder’s single to center scored Clark, capping the rally.
Before that inning, the Diamondbacks were headed toward another loss incurred in the late innings.
The Diamondbacks blew a 1-0 lead on Thursday night when the Brewers scored four times in the seventh inning.
This time, starter Jon Garland, who did not allow a run in the first six innings, surrendered two runs in the seventh, the second scoring when Brewers pinch hitter Chris Duffy singled off reliever Tony Pena.
But Pena finished the seventh, then threw a perfect eighth. Closer Chad Qualls worked a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.