Rhys Hoskins leads the Brewers to a 2-1 victory over the Diamondbacks with a home run

PHOENIX – The next nine games will answer some crucial questions for the Milwaukee Brewers.

As a week-long series against potential playoff opponents began Friday night at Chase Field, the Brewers began their response in encouraging fashion, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-1 in a game that was both played and managed as if it were taking place three weeks later.

Both teams sent their best pitchers out of the bullpen. Later scoring opportunities were rare. Many big throws were thrown.

Ultimately, it was Rhys Hoskins’ two-run homer in the fourth inning that made the difference. Hoskins’ hit was the Brewers’ only hit with a runner on base in 16 at-bats until Joey Ortiz hit a two-out double in the ninth inning, part of another quiet showing from an offense that’s flagging at the wrong time of year.

RESULT: Brewers 2, Diamondbacks 1

The Brewers began a 10-game series against the Diamondbacks and National League-leading Phillies in the desert on Friday, followed by three games in Pittsburgh and a season-ending home game against the Mets, another playoff team by the looks of things.

“The way we have to approach this — and we’ve talked about this before — is to think less and be ourselves,” Brewers starter Freddy Peralta said. “Play with freedom out there. Let the game play. It doesn’t matter what happens. Move on to the next game. We’re starting off on the right foot.”

The weakening offense is one of the many questions the Brewers face in September.

Two more were exhibited on Friday evening.

One of them involved Peralta, Milwaukee’s expected starting pitcher in Game 1. With Peralta on the mound opposite left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, another question revolved around the Brewers’ relative inability to face left-handed pitchers this season.

None of those questions were answered with overwhelming conviction, but the Brewers still stuck to the messages manager Pat Murphy preached before the game when asked about the importance of his club’s upcoming schedule.

Win ugly if you have to. But win tonight.

“I really think we need to keep talking about winning tonight,” Murphy said. “You win tonight the way we win tonight. It can be ugly, as we’ve seen. But you just have to keep showing up and competing. That’s really what you have to do this time of year. I know you want to hear something better, but I really don’t have anything better.”

With this win, Milwaukee’s magic number to win the division dropped to five and they moved within two games of the Dodgers, who have their second game bye in the NL.

Freddy Peralta is still working on finding his best form

On Friday, the final result was there for Peralta: five innings, one run, which brought his earned run average (ERA) for the season down to 3.75.

But the time in between is another story.

Peralta allowed six hits and four walks and did not pitch a single clean inning. He struggled through five frames, throwing 103 pitches. He struggled with control from the jump, walked leadoff hitter Corbin Carroll after taking a 2-0 lead and took control against a challenging offense that was the best in baseball in the second half.

“They have a great lineup,” Peralta said. “I knew from the beginning that my plan was to go zero. It didn’t matter if I could only go four innings or seven. I just wanted to go zero. I know our guys behind me, our bullpen, were great. I knew they would take care of it.”

It was a busy night for Peralta, and his final inning resembled that better than any other.

Peralta came out for the fifth inning with 81 pitches already on the night, and the Arizona team turned against him for the third time. It was a spot where Murphy could go to the bullpen in the postseason, but since it was only September 13, he kept his No. 1 starter in the game. Corbin Carroll started with a line-drive single to center and Ketel Marte followed with the hardest hit ball of the game, a 375-foot strike that, fortunately for Peralta, went right to Brice Turang for a double play.

Joc Pederson sparked another rally with a 111 mph single, and cleanup hitter Christian Walker picked off Peralta’s fourth free pass of the game. Pavin Smith then came within 15 feet of giving the D-backs the lead with a fly ball to the deepest part of the park that landed in the glove of Blake Perkins on the warning track.

“Nobody’s mad about last time, but I really appreciated the opportunity (Murphy) gave me,” Peralta said. “I thought about letting Walker go in that situation because there’s no reason to face him, but I didn’t want to give up the game. But I bet on myself. He let me stay in and I’m grateful for that.”

Peralta seemed to hit his peak in late August, but regressed to his old form in three starts in September. In those appearances, he allowed eight walks and 12 strikeouts while also allowing three home runs.

The right-hander is expected to start three more times this year and is currently scheduled to pitch the Brewers’ opening game of the playoffs.

When that time comes, he will have to find a way, just like he did on Friday.

Hard contact finally leads to something

The Brewers hit the ball against Rodriguez in that inning, but could only manage a single, despite having one strike left in the inning. Rhys Hoskins then hit another missile, a 105.4 mph towering fly to left that hooked inside the foul post for a two-run blast that gave the Brewers a 2-1 lead.

“He hit 24 (home runs),” Murphy said of Hoskins. “How many of them were game-winners? How many times was his home run game-winner?”

Earlier in the inning, Willy Adames and Blake Perkins had thrown hot balls directly to the outfielders in what proved to be the Brewers’ best offensive inning of the night.

The Brewers are finding ways to win games this month without much offense, but their recent batting performance doesn’t bode well for the long term. They’ve scored just 24 runs in their last nine games.

It’s worked for the Brewers the last two nights out West. But it’s not a sustainable way to win in the future, no matter how good their pitching has been.

“One day,” Murphy said, “we’re going to have to score some runs because (the relievers) can’t pitch every day.”

Left-handers remain the big question mark for the Brewers

Both offenses had scoring opportunities against the opposing starter in the first inning. Although neither team took full advantage, Arizona scored a run on a sacrifice fly from Smith to take an early lead while Milwaukee left two runners on the field.

Jackson Chourio opened the game with a smash double to left-center field and William Contreras walked two runs with one out. But the Brewers were unable to capitalize as Gary Sanchez was thrown out and Adames, one run away from the MLB record for three home runs in a season, struck out Rodriguez.

Aside from the win, it was another poor performance by the Brewers facing a left-hander on the mound. They are now still just 19-23 in games started by an opposing left-hander, compared to 66-39 against a right-hander.

Strong.

And guess what kind of pitchers they’ll be facing in droves in the playoffs?

The Braves have Chris Sale and Max Fried. The Mets have Jose Quintana and Sean Manaea. The Phillies have Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez.

This has been a thorn in the Brewers’ side for years, and they are running out of time to change it.

“We didn’t exactly chase them out of the hall,” Murphy said. “These are one-point games. We’re still in the development phase.”

What’s not right, however, is the bullpen, which could be the team’s strength in October. Jared Koenig, Joel Payamps, Trevor Megill and Devin Williams combined to throw four hitless, scoreless innings in place of Peralta, leaving the Brewers relief pitchers to allow just three earned runs in their final 58 1/3 innings.

“We have a great group,” Williams said. “Lots of options. I have confidence in each of them. We even have a few guys in the minor leagues that I think could help us as well.”

Brewers Schedule

Brewers at Diamondbacks, Saturday, 7:10 p.m. Milwaukee RHP Tobias Myers (7-5, 2.93 ERA) vs. Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (9-8, 4.42). TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.

Brewers at Diamondbacks, Sunday, 3:10 p.m. Milwaukee LHP DL Hall (1-1, 4.01) vs. Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (12-6, 3.55). TV – Bally Sports Wisconsin. Radio – AM-620.

Freddy Peralta is still working on finding his best form

Hard contact finally leads to something

Left-handers remain the big question mark for the Brewers

Brewers Schedule

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