MILWAUKEE -- Not even an ejection, a highlight-reel catch and a surprisingly early dip into the D-backs' bullpen could shake the Brewers out of their post-clinch malaise.

In the sixth inning of a 5-0 loss to the D-backs, Brewers manager Pat Murphy earned the ejection, walking all the way out to home plate so he could share his displeasure with umpire Chris Segal’s strike zone.

Milwaukee shortstop Willy Adames made the catch, an over-the-shoulder snag that brought the crowd of 35,068 to life at American Family Field. And Arizona made the unexpected pitching change, lifting starter Merrill Kelly after five scoreless, dominant innings when he appeared uncomfortable warming up for the bottom of the sixth with what was later called right calf cramping.

None of it managed to stir the Brewers’ offense, which was next to nonexistent in a third consecutive loss to the D-backs -- a potential foe in the NL Wild Card Series.

“Frustration,” said Brewers starter Aaron Civale, “was the word of the day.”

It’s been the word every day since the Brewers celebrated winning the NL Central on Wednesday night. There have been only 25 games in franchise history in which Milwaukee’s hitters reached safely two times or fewer, and two of those games have taken place in the three days since the clinch.

“The bottom line is we’re going to have to start recapturing the stuff that made us great,” Murphy said. “They’re not stupid. They know that. We have to capture the things, the energy, the individual pitch, that keeps us connected to each at-bat. And then that leads to a big inning. We have to go back to that.”

Said center fielder Garrett Mitchell: “I don’t think we’re looking super deep into it. We’re not trying to go out and not try to do stuff. It’s part of the game sometimes. As far as concern, I don’t think there’s any concern on our part.”

In Thursday’s 5-1 loss to Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt, the Brewers had no walks and two hits, including a Mitchell homer. And on Saturday, with All-Star catcher William Contreras resting with minor finger and hip discomfort and rookie Jackson Chourio out of the lineup after rolling his ankle the night before, the Brewers had no walks and two hits. They were both singles from Joey Ortiz and Sal Frelick to start what became a scoreless third -- the only inning in which Milwaukee hitters didn’t go down in order.

Even when the Brewers scored four runs on Friday, their scoring was limited to one inning. Ortiz, William Contreras and Mitchell all homered in Milwaukee’s four-run fifth for a 4-4 tie, only to see Arizona go back in front with a homer leading off the sixth.

"You have to give them credit. [Kelly] mowed through us pretty easily,” Murphy said. “I’m not going to yell at my team because we had a bad offensive night. It’s tough to hit. And when a guy’s pitching on the edges who’s experienced, that’s the way it is. …

“The Diamondbacks have a lot to play for. We do, too, but it’s hard to permeate what they know to be reality.”

The reality, Murphy acknowledged, is that the Brewers’ chances to catch the Phillies and Dodgers for one of the NL’s top two seeds -- and a bye into the second round of the playoffs -- are slim. After the Dodgers' 6-3 loss to Colorado on Saturday night, the Brewers are four games behind the Dodgers and Phillies with only seven games to play.

Instead, the Brewers are likely to land in the NL Wild Card Series, a best-of-three from Oct. 1-2 (and Oct. 3, if necessary) at home against the NL’s lowest-seeded Wild Card.

So, while the D-backs deployed their top relievers in order behind Kelly, the Brewers operated by something of a script. They have set up a schedule to get their top relievers the right amount of work to be rested and sharp for the postseason. That’s why setup man Trevor Megill pitched the seventh inning Saturday with the Brewers in a 3-0 deficit.

“Are we trying to win? Absolutely,” Murphy said. “Believe me, if you felt my guts right now, it’s the same as any other loss, but they know the reality that we’d have a mountain to climb to [get a bye].”

The Brewers are the only team in the Majors yet to lose four in a row this season, and they’ll have to win Sunday’s series finale against Arizona to avoid letting that status slip away so close to the finish line.