PHOENIX -- To secure a postseason berth, the D-backs will need to get through the Brewers, their opponent in seven of their final 16 games, and the first of those matchups showed just how tough a challenge it will be for Arizona.

Rhys Hoskins hit a two-run homer and Freddy Peralta and four relievers combined to mostly shut down the potent D-backs' offense as the Brewers won, 2-1, on Friday night at Chase Field.

The loss and a Padres win dropped the D-backs into the second National League Wild Card spot.

The D-backs have scored the most runs in the Majors this year, and it's the offense that has led them to where they are in the standings. Since the All-Star break, the Arizona offense has scored one or fewer runs just four times.

"They've spoiled me," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said of his offense. "You know, the game was over, and I was like, ‘Wow, that didn't go the way that we expected it to or the way I thought it would.’ But that's part of the game. It's what you do the next day or what you learn from today."

How the D-backs respond Saturday will be worth watching, but as for learning, there wasn't a lot they did wrong on the offensive side, it was more just an outstanding job by the Milwaukee pitchers.

"Peralta has one of the best fastballs, I think, in the big leagues," D-backs first baseman/outfielder Pavin Smith said. "It just gets on you. It looks a little weird. And then the backend of their bullpen is very good too. And they also have lefties to match up with guys. Credit to them tonight. They did well."

The D-backs did have some chances against the Brewers. They grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first when Corbin Carroll led off with a walk and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Smith.

They stranded runners on second and third in that inning, and Christian Walker got thrown out trying to advance to third on a wild pitch in the third.

"We created some opportunities, we threw some traffic out there," Lovullo said. "We built some innings, we just couldn't get that big hit. We took some really good swings. I'm not upset with the approaches, just the results didn't happen tonight, so we just got to keep banging away at it."

It sure seemed like the D-backs were going to break through in the fifth when they had runners at first and second against Peralta with Smith at the plate.

Smith got a 98.3 mph fastball from Peralta over the plate and drove it to center field. The ball left Smith's bat at 104.3 mph, but the launch angle of 38 degrees was just a little too high, and Blake Perkins was able to catch the ball just shy of the warning track, 391 feet from home plate.

"It was too high and the wrong part of the ballpark for sure," Smith said. "I definitely put a good swing on it and barreled it up, so I was happy with the swing, just got under it a tad."

Did he think it was out when he hit it?

"For like half a second," Smith said. "I was definitely talking to it when I was running to first, but to no avail."

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez mostly held the Milwaukee bats in check until the fourth, when Hoskins hit a two-out, two-run homer off him.

Sometimes with their pitching and defense, two runs is enough for the Brewers, who have ridden that formula to first place in the NL Central.

"They're built to play these types of games," Lovullo said. "I think we're versatile. We can play these types of games, too. They just got the better of us today."

One down, six to go, and the stakes are high for the D-backs.