A five-run sixth inning, sparked by a couple of unlikely plays, was the difference in the Brewers' 9-4 victory over Arizona Sunday in Game 2 of the National League Division Series at Miller Park.
Rickie Weeks opened the inning with a ground out to short. Jerry Hairston followed with a double to center, ending the day for Diamondbacks starter Daniel Hudson. Right-hander Brad Ziegler came on in relief and was called for a balk after throwing ball one to Yuniesky Betancourt, moving Hairston to third.
Ziegler would walk Betancourt on four straight, putting runners at the corners for Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy put down a successful squeeze to score Hairston. Lucroy reached, though, and Betancourt advanced to third on Ziegler's off-target throw to catcher Miguel Montero.
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke pinch-hit for starting pitcher Zack Greinke, sending Mark Kotsay to the plate. He drew an intentional walk, loading the bases for Corey Hart. Ziegler's day got worse at that point as Hart, Nyjer Morgan and Ryan Braun reached on consecutive RBI singles, bringing an end to his day without recording a single out.
Kirk Gibson, learning a lesson from Game 1, summoned left-hander Joe Paterson from the bullpen to face Fielder. The move worked, as Fielder went down swinging for the second out of the inning. With Paterson's job complete, Gibson turned to Bryan Shaw to end the inning, which he did by getting Weeks to ground into a force at second.
The game had been a back-and-forth affair until that point. The Brewers took the lead in the first, on a two-run home run from Ryan Braun. The Diamondbacks cut the lead in half when Paul Goldschmidt led off the top of the second with a solo shot
Greinke, pitching on just three days' rest, had held Arizona in check, but was plagued by three home runs in his five innings of work. He made it through five innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on eight hits with seven strikeouts, no walks and three home runs. Greinke threw 86 pitches.
His offense was there to back him up Sunday. Ryan Braun hit his first career postseason home run in the first inning, a two-run shot off Hudson that put Milwaukee up, 2-0. The Brewers added two more in the third when Prince Fielder scored Braun on a two-out double and scored, himself, on Rickie Weeks' triple to center.
Arizona answered back in the fifth, tying the game on Justin Upton's two-run home run to center – the third home run allowed by Greinke.
After the Brewers broke the game opened, the Diamondbacks threatened in the late innings, but Brewers relievers Takashi Saito (W, 1-0), LaTroy Hawkins and Francisco Rodriguez kept Arizona from scoring and setting the stage for John Axford to close the door in the ninth.
The Brewers are now one victory away from advancing to the National League Championship Series. The NLDS resumes Tuesday in Arizona, with Milwaukee's Shaun Marcum facing Josh Collmenter. First pitch is scheduled for 8:37 p.m. (CDT).
