Patience pays off for Matt Garza

It wasn't easy for a proud veteran, getting hit hard like Matt Garza did this spring.

But he believed in the process, stuck with the plan and on Sunday finally was paid back for his patience. In just his second start back from the disabled list, Garza was terrific in helping the Milwaukee Brewers hold off the Atlanta Braves, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at Miller Park.

Garza pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving him his second-longest start in the last couple seasons. He also limited an aggressive Braves lineup that had torched Milwaukee's staff for 21 runs on 32 hits the previous two nights to six hits and three runs (earned) without a walk while striking out seven in an 88-pitch outing.

The Braves got to Garza for a run in the first inning on a bloop RBI single by Matt Kemp, but the right-hander recovered by retiring 15 consecutive batters before Freddie Freeman homered to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead in the sixth.

Brandon Phillips' pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh closed the book on Garza, but Domingo Santana's second homer of the day in the bottom of the sixth already had given the Brewers a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

“Matt was excellent," manager Craig Counsell said. "He got in a groove there starting in the second inning and he was outstanding. Freeman got him, but I thought in those middle five innings he was really, really good. He used his off-speed. He got ahead with his fastballs and then used his off-speed pitches to put away hitters.

"He used all three of his off-speed pitches to put away hitters. It’s slider and curveball in the first inning, and he got a strikeout off the changeup, also.

"Really nice job using all his pitches and using his strengths to get ahead.”

RELATED: Brewers 4, Braves 3: Two-man show leads the way

NOTES: Jonathan Villar right back on it

BOX SCORE: Brewers 4, Braves 3

Expanding his off-speed repertoire and increasing his willingness to use it as he headed into the fourth and presumably final year with the Brewers was Garza's focus this spring. For a pitcher who'd thrown his fastball 68.9% of the time in 2016 – the most since 2010 – it was an adjustment that took some getting used to.

As a result, Garza's Cactus League lines were often ugly. He finished with a 1-1 record and 8.59 ERA in six starts but never veered from the plan.

Garza reflected on that steadfastness Sunday afternoon, not long after he'd posted his first victory of 2017.

"I knew what I had to get done," Garza said. "I kept saying I was committed to what I was doing. I noticed I didn’t have a heavy fastball today, so I just pitched. The work in spring, I was building confidence in the ability to throw off-speed when I had to.

"You know, one of my proudest moments today was punching out (Nick) Markakis with a 3-2 changeup. That allows me to use more than what I’ve been using in the past.

"I like outings like this. It makes me pitch."

Garza's spring ended in frustrating fashion, as a right-groin strain suffered in his final start landed him on the disabled list to open the season. Tommy Milone made three starts in his place before Garza returned April 24.

He pitched four innings and didn't earn a decision against Cincinnati his first time out. Sunday's effort is what he hopes will be the springboard for continued success.

"I don’t look back; I just keep looking forward," Garza said of starting the season on the DL. "Yeah, it sucked, but you have to persevere and keep going. Yeah, we face a little adversity time and again throughout our careers, and you keep trying to pull yourself out of that fire and come out on top."

As well as Garza pitched, Braves right-hander Mike Foltynewicz was better early. He took a no-hitter into the fifth before Santana broke it up with his first homer. But Freeman homered to right off Garza with two outs in the sixth to again put him on the spot to make pitches and limit the damage to that one run.

"You’ve got to keep plugging," he said. "That guy was throwing the crap out of the ball. I looked up after the first two innings and said, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to put a ball in play.’

"But you just keep battling, keep your team close and good things happen."

Indeed, Santana's second homer put the Brewers ahead to stay. Garza was unable to get that final out to give him a seven-inning start, but he'd more than carried his fair share.

“This is a quality start, for sure," Counsell said. "For our starters, you go out there in the seventh inning, you’re pitching a heck of a game. He was cruising. And you need starts like that, for sure. We went to Corey (Knebel) for four outs and we were able to avoid Jacob (Barnes) today. That’s what happens when you get a little more length in the game.

"Matt got it because he was pitching well. He ran into a little trouble in the seventh, but we got him out of it.”

Santana's two-homer, four-RBI day was also a bright spot for a struggling hitter.

"I was just looking to put a good swing on everything, like I’ve done," Santana said. "I’m so glad that I had a great game and the team won. I’ve been battling the whole season, so I was really happy."

With Jonathan Villar, Orlando Arcia and Keon Broxton also showing signs of life at the plate recently, a potent Brewers lineup could become even more dangerous.

"Probably the most encouraging thing to me is Villar, Arcia, Broxton, Domingo are starting to produce," Counsell said. "And that’s really what you expect. You expect those other guys to cool off a little bit and these guys to pick it up a little bit.

"What that hopefully means is we’re able to sustain some of this really good offensive production.”