Tuesday, January 8, 2019

ROUND 2: #2 Brewers sweep #7 Dbacks

2018-19 HF Tournament
National League Bracket
(7) Arizona Diamondbacks vs (2) Milwaukee Brewers


GAME 1 @ Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
Zack Greinke (R) vs Jhoulys Chacin (R)
Milwaukee wins 7-1
WP: Jhoulys Chacin (1-0) 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LP: Zack Greinke (1-1) 5.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 4 K
SV: none
HR: ARZ- Pollock (1) MIL- Pina 2 (2), Aguilar (1)
Game MVP: Manny Pina (2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR)
Game Recap: AJ Pollock started the series off with a 1st inning HR to give Arizona and ace Zack Greinke an early lead.
 However, it was the Brewers bats that would do more damage the rest of the way as Milwaukee starter Jhoulys Chacin
settled in.  Manny Pina tied the game with a solo HR in the 2nd and then it was Jesus Aguilar that broke the game open
with a 3 run bomb in the 3rd to give Milwaukee the lead.  Pina added a 2nd homer in the 6th and a Christian Yelich 8th
inning single gave the home team a comfortable 7-1 lead in the series opener.  Chacin combined with 5 relievers to
keep the DBacks off the scoreboard after the 1st inning long ball.  



GAME 2 @ Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
Patrick Corbin (L) vs Wade Miley (L)
Milwaukee wins 3-2 in 10 innings
WP: Corey Knebel (1-0) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
LP:  Brad Boxberger (0-1) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K, Blown Save)
SV: none
HR: none
Game MVP: Wade Miley 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, No Decision
Game Recap: The game of the series was a nail biter throughout and a game the Diamondbacks needed to have.  
Both starters threw up zeroes while in the game, Wade Miley 5 1/3 innings for the home team and Patrick Corbin 6
innings for the visitors.  The Brewers pulled Miley as he got to 90 pitches in the 6th and handed the ball to flame-throwing
left Josh Hader.  Even though the score was still knotted at zero, you could feel the confidence in the Miller Park
sellout crowd as Hader entered from the pen.  As expected, Hader recorded the final 2 outs of the 6th to keep the
game tied.  But in the 7th the unexpected happened.  The DBacks pieced together a multi run inning against the
dominant Brewer reliever.  Nick Ahmed led off with a single, Alex Avila walked, Chris Owings singled to score a run
and then the 2nd run scored when Ketel Marte hit into a double play.  And just like that Arizona held a 2-0 lead and
hope to take control of the series.  With Owings having pinch hit for Corbin during the rally, Arizona handed the ball
to Yoshihisa Hirano in the 7th with the 2 run lead.  Milwaukee got a lead off single from Mike Moustakas followed by
a walk to Travis Shaw.  Game 1 hero, Manny Pina, followed with a well executed sac bunt to put the 2 runners in scoring
position with 1 out.  Domingo Santana was called on to pinch hit and drove in PR Keon Broxton with a ground ball to
short to cut the lead in half.  But, Hirano was able to settle down to whiff PH Tyler Saladino with the tying run on 2nd
to preserve the lead.  Both team bullpens worked there way thru the 8th innings and the Jeremy Jeffress completed a
2nd shutout inning by blanking the DBacks in the top of the 9th.  Arizona, clinging to a 1 run lead, handed the ball to
closer, Brad Boxberger, in the 9th.  Boxberger was not up to the challenge as he let the first 2 batters reach on a walk
and a single  Hernan Perez, who had the single, stole 2nd to give the Brewers 2 runners in scoring position with no outs
.  Boxberger got Shaw on strikes before issuing a free pass to Pina to bring up PH Brad Miller with the bases loaded.  
Miller worked a full count walk after fouling off 3 payoff pitches and the game was tied. Boxberger somehow regained
his composure to get the next 2 hitters to send the game to extras.  Milwaukee got a clean inning from closer
Corey Knebel which sent it to the bottom of the 10th still tied at 2.  Boxberger proved enough to be sent out again
and looked good by whiffing NL MVP Christian Yelich to open the 10th.  But a single by Jesus Aguilar would chase
Boxberger and bring TJ McFarland to the mound.  Unfortunately for the DBacks, the Brewers hitters were determined
to end the game and a single by Perez followed by another by Shaw pushed home pinch runner Jonathan Schoop
with the winning run.   The Brewers celebrated with their home fans knowing they were headed to Arizona only
needing 1 more to advance.


GAME 3 @ Chase Field, Phoeniz, AZ
Gio Gonzalez (L) vs Robbie Ray (L)
Milwaukee wins 2-0
WP: Gio Gonzalez (1-0) 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
LP: Robbie Ray (1-1) 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 7 K
SV: Josh Hader (1) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
HR: none
Game MVP: Gio Gonzalez (7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, WIN)
Game Recap: The Chase Field crowd was fired up to support their team, but the Arizona bats could never give them
anything to get excited about once the game started.  Gio Gonzalez threw up all zeroes for the 1st 6 innings and allowed
just a lead off double to Ketel Marte in the 7th.  By that point, Milwaukee had put up a single run in the 2nd thanks to an
RI from that guy, Manny Pina.  And then another run in the 5th when Jesus Aguilar doubled home Gonzales, who had
drawn a walk from Robbie Ray.  Josh Hader came on in the 8th and got the final 6 outs, 5 by strikeout to close out the
game and the series.  
SERIES STARS

  • Manny Pina – 4-10, 1 2B 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI
  • Jesus Aguilar – 5-14, 2 2B, 1 HR, 1 R, 4 RBI
  • Milwaukee Starting Pitchers – Combined 18 1/3 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 9 K, 2 WINS (Chacin, Miley, Gonzalez)
--submitted by Peter Daly--

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