Diamondbacks rally again to eliminate Brewers, book spot in NLDS Victory sets up a showdown with the Dodgers
Zac Gallen allowed two runs in six innings as Arizona completed a two-game sweep. Zac Gallen settled down after a rough start and Arizona’s pitching finally rallied to help the Diamondbacks win 5-2 in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night. Just two years after enduring a 110-loss season, Arizona moved to the franchise’s first NL series since 2017. The Diamondbacks face the NL West champion Dodgers in the opener of their best-of-five series in Los Angeles on Saturday. . The NL Central champion Brewers have lost nine of their last 10 playoff games, starting with a Game 7 home loss to the Dodgers in the 2018 NL Championship Series.
In Milwaukee, attention now turns to the future of Craig Counsell, who has managed the Brewers since 2015 and guided them to five playoff appearances in the last six seasons. Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said the team wants Counsell back, but has not indicated whether he wants to return. Again the “Answers” rally Ketel Marte put Arizona ahead for good with a two-run single in a four-run sixth inning as Milwaukee right-hander Freddy Peralta faded after a strong start. Gallen allowed two runs in the first and then went the remaining six innings. Ketel Marte gives the lead to the Diamondbacks! The Brewers tried to mount a late rally. Milwaukee loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but 26-year-old rookie Andrew Saalfrank preserved Arizona’s 5-2 lead but pitched in significant relief.
After Sal Frelick returned to the mound, Saalfrank threw out Yelich at the plate. Willy Adames then hit a bunt up the middle, but Marte lined up perfectly behind second base and stepped on the bag for the final out. The Brewers had runners on second and third after Yelich’s two-run double in the ninth, but Paul Sewald struck out William Contreras to end the run.
The brewery bats are quiet again Milwaukee’s night started better than it ended. Brandon Woodruff was considered the likely starter in Game 2 for the Brewers until a shoulder injury sidelined him in that series. Corbin Burnes struggled as the Brewers went down 3-0, 6-3 in Game 1, so Milwaukee needed Peralta to step up. He did just that in the first part of the game. Peralta held Arizona hitless through 4 2/3 innings as the Brewers took a 2-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Sal Frelick and an RBI single by Adames.
The Diamondbacks got their first hit when Alek Thomas hit a 2-0 inning in the fifth inning. It all fell apart for the Brewers in the sixth when Peralta and Abner Uribe faltered on the mound. Geraldo Perdomo led off the batter and advanced to third on Corbin Carroll’s double, a broken bat that got past first baseman Carlos Santana and went down the right-field line. Marte picked off both runners and advanced to second with a throw to the plate.
Tommy Pham then greeted Uribe with a single to right that put runners on the corners. Later, José Herrera walked to load the bases. Uribe drew a wild pitch that brought home Pham and then allowed an RBI single to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. before leaving with the Diamondbacks up 5-2.
