Any questions about the Arizona Diamondbacks ability to carry momentum forward into Game 4 of the NLDS against Milwaukee were answered very quickly on Wednesday night. With two outs and the bases loaded with D-backs, Ryan Roberts hit the fourth grand slam in the last four Arizona home games. The lead propelled the Snakes to get back on a plane and head to Wisconsin for a final Game 5 on Friday.
Starting pitchers for both teams were unremarkable unless you consider going three innings each worth remark.
Randy Wolf ended up allowing seven runs in three innings off eight hits and three walks. Needless to say, that wasn't very good for the Brewers. D-backs lefty Joe Saunders was only marginally better, going three innings with three runs, five hits, two walk and three runs allowed.
Needless to say, neither team can be pleased with their fourth starter, but only one team will advance to the NLCS and have to worry about it again.
"I wasn't too happy," Saunders said. "Obviously, when you go three innings and give up three runs you're not feeling too good about yourself."
Offensively, Arizona hammered home their point with a flurry of long balls setting a franchise postseason record with four home runs. Roberts grand slam in the first was followed immediately by Chris Young's solo shot. Aaron Hill added one of his own in the sixth and Young put the game away for good with a two-run shot in the seventh.
Young now has three home runs in the series, which is helpful since Justin Upton has remained relatively quiet.
"In the playoffs you don't think about mechanics, you don't think about what a pitcher is going to do. The adrenaline is just flowing. You have nothing to lose in the playoffs," Young said about his approach at the plate that has now propelled him to the franchise leader in postseason home runs.
With bullpens in long relief mode, the D-backs leaned on Micah Owings who's been solid in these situations all season. He got the win, going two innings with just two hits allowed. Rookie Jarrod Parker followed him and struggled finding the strike zone and left with just one out recorded. He was only charged with one run thanks to Brian Shaw who came in and put out the bases loaded, one-out fire and pitched a clean 1.2 innings.
David Hernandez pitched the eighth with a 10-4 lead and promptly gave up a few extra runs for good measure with a lead-off hit being followed by a Carlos Gomez home run.
The D-backs and Brewers will end this series one way or another on Friday in Milwaukee. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. Arizona time (5:00 p.m. ET) on TBS. Ian Kennedy will get chance to redeem his four-run outing in Game 1 against Yovani Gallardo.
Postgame reaction from both teams to follow...
Go to AZ Snake Pit to talk to fans of the D-Backs, and go to Brew Crew Ball to talk to fans of the Brewers.