Hellickson handles Crew; D-backs take series

PHOENIX -- Jeremy Hellickson pitched six scoreless innings and Jake Lamb and Chris Owings provided run-scoring, extra-base hits in the D-backs' 3-0 win over the Brewers on Sunday at Chase Field. It was Arizona's third victory in the four-game series and second consecutive shutout.

"His off-speed stuff today was really good, changeup, breaking ball, it threw them off down at the bottom of the order especially," D-backs manager Chip Hale said of Hellickson. "He's able to throw pitches that aren't predictable."

Video: MIL@ARI: Hale on Hellickson's start, Lamb's progress

Hellickson and Brewers starter Matt Garza dodged traffic all afternoon. Hellickson held Milwaukee hitless (0-for-9) with runners in scoring position over his six innings of work, while Garza also had Arizona at 0-for-9 with RISP before Owings finally broke through with a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning to chase Garza from the game. Lamb's RBI triple in the fourth inning came with a runner at first base.

Hellickson improved to 5-1 with a 2.33 ERA in his last six starts at Chase Field while Garza lost for the fourth time in his last five decisions after allowing three earned runs on seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. The Brewers were shut out in back-to-back games for the first time this season.

"You felt like [Garza] deserved a little better outcome than he got," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He was one pitch away from a really nice outing. I know he's frustrated, becuase he pitched well."

Video: MIL@ARI: Garza retires Hernandez to escape a jam

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Out at home: Garza put the Brewers in business by singling to open the third inning, and was at third base with one when he broke home on contact with Ryan Braun at the plate. But Braun's bouncer went right to third baseman Lamb, who threw home to make Garza an easy out in what became a scoreless inning.

Video: MIL@ARI: Lamb fires to retire Garza at home plate

Not so rare: While triples are the rarest type of hit, the D-backs have been collecting a bunch of them this month. In the fourth inning, Lamb tripled in A.J. Pollock for the first run of the game. The D-backs have 28 triples this season with 12 of them coming in July. It was Lamb's fourth triple of the year.

"We need him to hit," Hale said of Lamb. "That's something we've been waiting on, for him to get back to where he was before the injury and I think he's starting to get comfortable."

Video: MIL@ARI: Lamb plates Pollock with a triple to center

Tough day for Davis: With Adam Lind, Carlos Gomez and Jean Segura all out of Sunday's lineup, Brewers left fielder Khris Davis made his third start of the season in the cleanup spot. Davis had a difficult day, striking out in each of his first three at-bats with two runners aboard, including an inning-ending whiff in the third inning. Davis struck out again with the bases empty in the eighth for the third four-strikeout game of his career. Davis did make a pair of nice running catches in the outfield, but he also muffed a fly ball for an error.

Coming in cold: With two outs in the sixth, Owings entered as a pinch-hitter for Hellickson with runners on first and second. Owings doubled down the left-field line to give the D-backs a cushion, pushing their lead to 3-0. Although Owings is 6-for-24 in his career as a pinch-hitter, he is 3-for-7 this season.

"He had good numbers against Garza," Hale said. "I knew when we got into a situation where we could do some damage off the bench that C.O. would be the guy."

Video: MIL@ARI: Owings plates two with a pinch-hit double

QUOTABLE
"It's coming back, but it's still not where I want to be. The ball is staying in the yard more, it's down. I'm just not turning my luck around. You just have to keep grinding, keep pushing." -- Garza on his two starts since a stint on the disabled list for a sore shoulder

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Brewers led Major League Baseball with an .859 OPS and ranked second with 5.88 runs per game from July 1-23, but endured an offensive outage over the final three games of this series. They scored two total runs and went 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position from Friday through Sunday. More >

The D-backs had back-to-back shutout wins for the first time since June 3-4, 2011.

WHAT'S NEXT
Brewers: The Brewers' westward swing continues at 9:15 p.m. CT Monday night in San Francisco, where Kyle Lohse will take a 6.29 ERA into his final scheduled start before the nonwaiver Trade Deadline. With Wily Peralta rejoining the rotation from the disabled list the following night, the Brewers have some decisions to make, and Lohse's spot is in question.

D-backs: The D-backs open a 10-game road trip with a three-game series against the Mariners that begins on Monday at 7:10 p.m. MST. Robbie Ray takes the mound for the D-backs coming off his toughest outing of the season, when he gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings in a loss to the Marlins.

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