Major League Baseball

Brewers 6, Diamondbacks 4

Published Mar. 13, 2011 12:04 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Shawn Marcum is confident he'll eventually make the right pitch to Russell Branyan.

Branyan hit a towering home run that needed one bounce to completely leave the ballpark but the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 Saturday.

''That wasn't a good pitch,'' Marcum said. ''He got me in Milwaukee a couple of years ago, too. Every time I look at him and think, 'This is where I need to throw the ball.' And I miss it every time.''

Marcum allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk. He struck out three. Marcum also revealed that he had struggled with tightness in his right shoulder earlier this spring though Saturday he said, ''My arm felt pretty good. It was just one of those days and I hope I don't have too many of them.''

Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun strained a muscle on the left side of his ribcage. A Milwaukee spokesman said Braun had asked to tell reporters, ''I feel fine'' and that he didn't want much made of what was diagnosed as a strained left intercostal muscle. Braun is day to day.

''He's fine,'' said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. ''In batting practice he caught a flyball and ran against the wall. He was just going to see how he was during the game.''

Arizona starter Aaron Heilman, who remains in the running for a position on the back end of the starting rotation, allowed four runs on six hits and a walk in four innings.

''I felt like I was throwing harder,'' Heilman said. ''I don't know what it was. The ball was coming out of my hand better. It was clear after the first inning they were coming after the fastball, so I tried to make an adjustment.''

Casey McGehee hit a two-run homer off Heilman in the fourth.

NOTES: Brewers reliever Takashi Saito, who has left camp early the past two days while tracking the health and safety of his family in and around Sendai, has been given permission to return to Japan if he so chooses. ''I feel powerless and not able to do anything,'' Saito said through an interpreter. ''Being away from my family, it's very tough.'' Saito is slated to pitch one inning on Sunday but Roenicke said a final decision won't be made until the morning. Milwaukee closer John Axford said he spoke with Saito earlier Saturday. ''It's sad seeing him like that since he's such an uplifting guy,'' he said. ''We just feel for him as a team and as a club.'' Branyan's home run was his third. Milwaukee 2B Rickie Weeks and CF Carlos Gomez hit back-to-back doubles in the first.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball