Diamondbacks go for sweep, drop finale in 17 innings
By Kody Acevedo
In a battle that lasted 17 innings against the worst team in the National League, the Arizona Diamondbacks went for the series sweep Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Unfortunately for the D-backs, the Brewers erased a 5-1 Arizona lead throughout the course of the game and things went into extra innings all tied up at 6.
And that’s were it stayed until Martin Maldonado hit a walk off big fly to give Milwaukee the 7-6 win in the 17th. The Brewers were able to avoid the sweep with their first of the series.
The D-backs, meanwhile, took the series after winning games one and two on Friday and Saturday.
But the D-backs were unable to complete the sweep, which would have been their second series sweep this month after they swept the Miami Marlins in four games back on May 18-21.
It was a nice bounce-back series win for the D-backs after they were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals to begin the week.
Here’s how the weekend went down:
Friday:
D-backs 7, Brewers 5
Things got started right away in the first inning, with both teams putting a run on the board in the opening frame.
The D-backs and the Brewers matched each other run-for-run again in the third inning, putting up two runs apiece, and again in the fifth were each team put an additional run on the board.
With things tied up at four going into the eighth, the D-backs were finally able to break the troublesome pattern by scoring the go-ahead run in the top of the frame. They were then able to hold the Brewers to a scoreless bottom of the eighth.
The momentum carried over into the ninth when A.J. Pollock homered into right-center field with Ender Inciarte on base to give the D-backs a 7-4 lead.
The Brewers put up a small rally in the bottom of the ninth, adding a run in the inning to make a 7-5 game, but ultimately came up a couple runs short.
Rubby De La Rosa, who started the game for Arizona, went five innings, giving up four runs on six hits. He left the game with a no-decision.
The win went to Addison Reed (2-2), who pitched 1 2/3 innings without giving up a run.
The loss went to Brewers reliever Jonathan Broxton (1-2), his first of the year. Broxton went 1 inning and gave up the go-ahead run in the eight inning.
Saturday:
D-backs 7, Brewers 3
It was the D-backs second straight night scoring 7 runs, outscoring the Brewers 14-8.
Milwaukee jumped to an early 1-0 lead, but the D-backs put up 7 runs in the following three innings, adding three in the second, one in the third and three in the fourth.
And that was all they would need to take the series from Milwaukee.
The D-backs offense was led by none other than Paul Goldschmidt, who hit two home runs in the game.
D-backs starter Jeremy Hellickson (3-3), picked up the win after going six innings and giving up just two runs on five hits.
Randall Delgado came in to pitch the final three innings and was awarded with his first save of the season.
Brewers starter Kyle Lohse (3-6) was slapped with the loss after throwing just 3 1/3 innings and giving up all seven runs.
Sunday:
D-backs 6, Brewers 7 / 17 innings
The Brewers certainly didn’t roll over and die after dropping the first two games of series.
Instead, they left it all out on the field, literally, for 17 innings and eventually won the game in the bottom of the 17th.
At one point, the D-backs led it 5-1. But the last place Brewers roared back and took the lead in the bottom of the sixth.
But in the eight, Mark Trumbo homered to tie things up at six apiece.
And that’s where things stayed until Maldonado hit the walk-off home run and brought the series to a close.
Matt Garza (3-7), one of 9 Brewers pitchers to appear in the game, pitched the final five innings and was awarded with win. Garza gave up no runs and just three hits.
Vidal Nuno (0-1), who gave up the Maldonado homer in the 17th, was given the loss.
The D-backs fall back to 23-26 this season and currently sit six games back in the NL West.
Up next, they’ll head to back to Phoenix and host the Atlanta Braves as they begin the month of June.