The Brewers won their first postseason series in 29 years the last time the Diamondbacks were in town, but they have plenty of work in front of them before they can think about another playoff run.
Milwaukee goes for a fifth consecutive home win over Arizona -- including last season's NL Division Series -- in Friday night's series opener.
After winning the NL Central with a franchise-best 96 victories, the Brewers knocked the Diamondbacks out of the 2011 playoffs in a five-game series that ended Oct. 7 with a 3-2, 10-inning home win.
They snapped their season high-tying four-game losing streak with Wednesday's 8-4 victory over division-leading Cincinnati, but the Brewers are still well off the pace in the Central.
Milwaukee is 11-13 this month and hasn't won more than three straight since sweeping the Dodgers in Los Angeles from May 28-31.
"We're a little bit out, but we've got a lot of talent on this team," right-hander Zack Greinke said. "If we get on a little roll, things can change."
A healthy Ryan Braun could help with that. The reigning NL MVP is batting .311 with 20 homers and 52 RBIs, but he missed Wednesday's game with a bruised left elbow after getting hit by a pitch the previous game.
"If you look at it offensively, we don't have a lot of room for error," Braun told the Brewers' official website. "... It's the same thing for starting pitching, bullpen."
Friday's scheduled starter Randy Wolf (2-5, 5.32 ERA) is all too familiar with those bullpen woes. Of Milwaukee's 11 blown saves, six have come in Wolf's last nine starts, including each of the last four.
The veteran left-hander hasn't won in his last 10 outings.
"I'm not going to point fingers at the bullpen or anything like that," Wolf said after giving up five runs in Saturday's 8-6 road loss to Chicago White Sox. "They fight their tails off to get outs. For me, I just need to get better and do a better job and go from there."
Wolf is 10-5 with a 4.58 ERA in 21 starts against Arizona. He yielded three runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 4-3 loss in the desert May 27.
Winner of two of three in that series last month, the Diamondbacks (38-37) arrive in Milwaukee after ending a season-high four-game road skid with Thursday's 3-2 victory over Atlanta.
Chris Young's ninth-inning solo shot was the difference.
"I was able to foul them off, and (Craig Kimbrel) left me one to hit," said Young, who hit a pinch-hit homer Wednesday after sitting the previous two games.
Arizona will give the ball to Ian Kennedy (5-7, 4.42) in the series opener. The right-hander, who surrendered four runs in a 7-1 loss to the Brewers on May 25, makes his first start in Milwaukee since his six-inning effort in the Game 5 NLDS defeat.
Kennedy lasted a season low-tying 4 1-3 innings Saturday against the Chicago Cubs, allowing five runs and 10 hits in a 10-5 home win.
"My command was all over the place," he told the Diamondbacks' official website.
If Kennedy struggles Friday, the Diamondbacks' bullpen could pick him up. Arizona's relievers have a 1.08 ERA over the last six games.
"Lights out again tonight for our relievers," said left fielder Jason Kubel, who is among the majors' leaders with 26 RBIs this month.
Kubel was 6 for 10 with a homer and three RBIs against Milwaukee last month.
Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill, 3 for 3 with two doubles off Wolf, is one hit shy of 1,000.
