Brewers lose again, team meeting held after game

• Milwaukee Brewers

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MILWAUKEE - For only the second time this season, Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke held a team meeting after the Brewers lost to Arizona 7-3 at Miller Park. The loss was the Brewers’ seventh in their last eight games. And it dropped them to third place in the National League Central Division, a half-game behind the surging Pittsburgh Pirates and two games in back of front-running Saint Louis.

Roenicke said he didn’t single out individuals during his post-game meeting. He said the whole group was having trouble, and he blamed himself and his coaching staff. The manager said the team has lost its consistency, and they must find a way to get it back.

The Diamondbacks scored all their runs in the first three innings last night. But Milwaukee starter Randy Wolf was left in for six frames, giving up seven runs on 10 hits and four walks with four strikeouts. The loss dropped him to 6-6. Zach Duke ended a six-game losing streak at Miller Park. He gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings to improve to 2-3. Gerardo Parra and Justin Upton both homered for the D-Backs. Corey Hart belted his second homer in as many nights, and Prince Fielder added a solo shot and an RBI single for Milwaukee – which became the final Major League team to lose back-to-back games at home.

The Brewers and Diamondbacks will close out their three-game series this afternoon. Right-hander Yovani Gallardo will start against Arizona right-hander Josh Collmenter.

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Brewers’ manager Ron Roenicke expects outfielder Ryan Braun to return no later than tomorrow night’s home game against Cincinnati. Braun missed his third straight game last night with a strained calf – but he was getting ready to be a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning when Corey Hart grounded out to end the game. Mark Kotsay and Josh Wilson have been taking Braun’s spot in left during his injury. Mat Gamel has been a late fill-in the past couple nights.

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The Brewers will have two players in Monday night’s All-Star Home Run Derby in Phoenix. Prince Fielder, the National League captain, has chosen teammate Rickie Weeks along with Matt Kemp of the LA Dodgers and Matt Holliday of Saint Louis. This is the first year that league captains have chosen the participants for the Derby. Fielder said he chose Weeks because it’s his first All-Star Game, and he wants to show people how far he can hit the ball. Kemp went into last night as the National League’s home run leader with 22. Fielder hit his 22nd last night, and Weeks has 15 home runs this season. Holliday has 10 homers after being out for parts of April and June with injuries. Fielder was named the NL captain after winning the 2009 Home Run Derby. Boston’s David Ortiz won it last year for the American League. And he picked his Red Sox teammate Adrian Gonzalez, Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees, and Jose Bautista of Toronto.

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