Diamondbacks Daily: Brewers break up Merrill Kelly's no-hit bid

Merrill Kelly wanted a better result on Tuesday night. He wanted to get through the seventh inning with the damage limited. He wanted to give his team a better chance to win.

But as he lamented the end result of the Diamondbacks’ 7-1 loss to Corbin Burnes and the Milwaukee Brewers, Kelly also zoomed out to appreciate the bigger picture.

In his first two starts, he had struggled to put the ball over the plate. He had difficulty executing his pitches. His spring detour through the World Baseball Classic had dragged into his season, and as a result Kelly did not look like his normal self.

That changed on Tuesday.

“Based on how each game has gone, obviously, we’re moving in the right direction,” Kelly said. “As of now, I’ll definitely take it. I would have liked to get through that seventh. That would have left a better taste in my mouth.

“But we’ll take the positives this early in the season and just try to build on them. I’m happy with how I felt. I can definitely take this one and kind of build it into the next one.”

For six innings, he and Burnes were locked in a scoreless tie. Kelly did not allow a hit until Willy Adames’ solo shot to open the seventh, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead.

Kelly then issued walks to the next two hitters and was out of the game. He watched from the dugout as reliever Miguel Castro turned in his first rough outing with his new team, giving up both inherited runners as well as two more on a walk and two hits.

The Diamondbacks won six of their first 10 games despite not getting good outings from either of their top two starts, Zac Gallen or Kelly. But after Gallen worked seven dazzling innings on Monday, Kelly turned in a strong performance of his own. The Diamondbacks might have lost the game, but they got a starter back on track for the second consecutive night.

“For sure,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “They’re 1-2 for a reason. We need them to pitch well. They both threw the ball extremely well. Look, we score six runs, seven runs, we’re having a different conversation about how well Merrill threw the ball. He’s on the right path.”

Kelly was quick to note he is still not in midseason form. He issued four walks, one of which was aided by a pitch clock violation in the third, and he hit another batter. He also might have tired in the seventh inning.

But given his abbreviated build-up during the WBC, he believes he is about where he should be.

“The first couple of games, unfortunately, were kind of still in build-up phase,” he said. “I knew it would take some time. That’s why I wasn’t too frustrated after the first two. I knew they could have been better, but they also could have been worse with how many guys I walked, especially against LA. I’m trying this year to kind of keep things in the bigger picture, trying to keep each game in a better perspective.”

Brewers place Brandon Woodruff on injured list

The Brewers announced right-hander Brandon Woodruff has been placed on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation.

Woodruff, one of the better starting pitchers in the National League, had been scheduled to face the Diamondbacks in Wednesday’s series finale.

The Brewers are expected to start right-hander Janson Junk in his place. Junk, a former Angels pitcher, had been in Triple-A with the Brewers.

Jose Ruiz added to roster, Scott McGough to paternity list

Two days after acquiring him in a deal with the Chicago White Sox, the Diamondbacks added reliever Jose Ruiz to their active roster on Tuesday while placing reliever Scott McGough on the paternity list.

Ruiz, 28, who was acquired in exchange for cash considerations after being designated for assignment last week, had been hit hard through four games with the White Sox, allowing nine runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Ruiz features a fastball that sits in the mid-90s along with a curveball and change-up. The fastball has been hit hard this season but the curveball has induced whiffs at a 60 percent rate.

McGough and his wife, Lauren, are expecting their second child.

Diamondbacks-Brewers pitching matchup

Tuesday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (0-1, 3.86) vs. Brewers RHP Corbin Burnes (0-1, 9.64).

Kelly has managed to post a pair of respectable outings despite having subpar control. He's walked eight batters in 9 1/3 innings but has limited the damage to four total runs. ... In his last start, he allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-2 loss to the Dodgers in the Diamondbacks' home opener. ... Kelly had a truncated spring because he pitched in the World Baseball Classic. This will likely be the first start in which he will be fully stretched out and able to throw over 100 pitches if necessary. ... Burnes, the 2021 National League Cy Young winner, has not been at his best thus far. He's allowed 10 runs in 9 1/3 innings. ... Burnes is known as a strikeout pitcher but has only recorded three in each of his first two starts. Last year, he recorded more than three strikeouts in all but one start.

SCOREBOARD | STANDINGS | INJURIES

Coming up

Wednesday: At Chase Field, 12:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Drey Jameson (2-0, 2.16) vs. Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff (1-0, 0.79).

Thursday: Off.

Friday: At Miami, 3:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 7.27) vs. Marlins LHP Trevor Rogers (0-2, 6.00).

Saturday: At Miami, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks TBD vs. Marlins TBD

Monday game recap: Lovullo: Diamondbacks' 4th-straight win 'all about Zac Gallen'

About the Brewers

Milwaukee struggled down the stretch last year, ultimately falling one game short of a wild card spot and seven games short of the NL Central division title after a hot start. The early returns in 2023 have been positive, though. After losing on Opening Day, the Brewers broke off a six-game win streak, including a sweep of the Mets. They enter this week’s series at 7-2. 3B Brian Anderson and CF Garrett Mitchell have led the way thus far with three home runs apiece. 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich got his season rolling Sunday with his first homer. Ace Brandon Woodruff has been dominant, with just one run allowed through two starts. He’s struck out 12 in 11 1/3 innings. That should create a mismatch on Wednesday against the struggling Madison Bumgarner.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks Daily: News, game-day updates vs. Brewers