# Gallen, Walker heat up as D-backs push toward Wild Card ## D-backs win 5th straight, Gallen strikes out 11 PHOENIX - Zac Gallen struck out 11 batters over seven sharp innings, Daulton Varsho homered and singled twice, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 on Saturday night for their fifth straight win. The Diamondbacks have won eight of their last nine and they moved within 2 1/2 games of the NL's final wild card. Milwaukee has lost five of six and dropped 3 1/2 games behind San Diego for the third wild card. Gallen (12-2) allowed two runs on four hits and a walk. He threw 100 pitches, 67 for strikes. He has struck out at least 10 batters in three consecutive starts for the first time in his career. ## Walker homers again, drives in 3 Christian Walker homered for the second straight game, giving him seven homers and 19 RBIs in his last 19 games. He also singled and was hit by a pitch. Varsho hit his 18th homer of the season in the fourth inning off Milwaukee starter Adrian Houser (4-9). He singled in the first and sixth innings. The Brewers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a single by Kolten Wong and an RBI double by Andrew McCutchen. The Diamondbacks tied it in the third on Walker's single and took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on Varsho's homer. ## D-backs bullpen solid again The Diamondbacks bullpen has been one of the best in the majors since the All-Star break. Joe Mantiply, Kyle Nelson and Ian Kennedy combined for two scoreless innings on Saturday. The Brewers got a run back in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Renfroe, but Varsho's RBI single in the sixth gave Arizona a 4-2 lead. Walker made it 6-2 with a two-run homer off Houser in the seventh. The Diamondbacks have won six of their last seven games against the Brewers. ## Up next The teams will wrap up their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. Merrill Kelly (12-5) will start for the Diamondbacks and Brandon Woodruff (10-4) will start for the Brewers.
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