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D-Backs power past Brewers to force decisive game

Oct 6, 2011 - 6:40 AM Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Ryan Roberts hit a grand slam in the first inning, but that was only the beginning of a power display that led the Diamondbacks to a 10-6 victory over the Brewers and sent their National League Division Series to a fifth game.

Needing another win at home to send the series back to Milwaukee, Arizona also received two homers from Chris Young and a solo blast by Aaron Hill.

It was a familiar script for the Diamondbacks, who won Game 3 on Tuesday, 8-1, thanks to a grand slam by Paul Goldschmidt. Arizona had scored just five runs in the first two games, but has the chance for a comeback victory in the series.

The decisive Game 5 is set for Friday at Miller Park, with Ian Kennedy taking the mound for Arizona and Yovani Gallardo pitching for the Brewers.

Milwaukee never caught up Wednesday after starter Randy Wolf (0-1) allowed seven runs in three innings, though Carlos Gomez hit a two-run homer and Corey Hart came several feet from a grand slam.

But now the Brewers stand a loss away from a total collapse, while still remaining a win away from their first Championship Series appearance since 1982.

They held the lead after Ryan Braun drove an RBI double to the wall in center in the first inning, but Arizona quickly assumed control after turning an inning-ending double play.

Willie Bloomquist led off with a single, while a one-out walk to Justin Upton and single by Miguel Montero loaded the bases. Goldschmidt struck out, but Roberts delivered the big blow.

Wolf fell behind in the count, 2-0, before throwing a high fastball that Roberts fouled off. The third baseman didn't miss the next one, an offspeed pitch that Wolf left in the middle of the zone. Roberts pulled it over the left field fence and into his team's bullpen to make it a 4-1 game.

"In that situation it is easy to get too big; I have done it many times," Roberts said. "So I just tried to stay relaxed, not think too much. I had the approach of sitting in and I didn't miss it."

Young followed and, like Roberts, was ahead in the count. He took three balls before looking at a fastball for a strike. But Young pounced on the fifth pitch, a fastball in the zone, and slugged it to left-center.

"When he gets in trouble, his location isn't there," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "And you saw that in the first inning. He came out and his location was all over, getting behind in the count."

The Brewers stayed in the game by adding a few runs -- George Kottaras plated a run with a groundout in the second, and Jerry Hairston Jr. doubled in Hart in the third.

Those were final runs given up by Arizona starter Joe Saunders, who pitched three innings.

He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the third with runners in scoring position, and the move paid off. Collin Cowgill bounced a single through the left side of the infield to make it a 7-3 contest.

Micah Owings (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Saunders, but the Brewers had a good chance to get back in the game in the sixth, when they loaded the bases with one away against Jarrod Parker.

Bryan Shaw was brought in to face Hart, who drove a fly ball deep to left- center field. However, left fielder Gerardo Parra ranged over to make the catch near the warning track, resulting in only a sacrifice fly.

Shaw then got Hairston to ground into a fielder's choice, and Arizona's final two homers essentially secured the win.

Hill tacked on his blast against Chris Narveson in the home half of the sixth, while Young added a two-run shot in the seventh. He became the first player in Diamondbacks history to record a multi-homer game in the playoffs.

The homers provided the Arizona bullpen with plenty of cushion. After Shaw worked a scoreless seventh, David Hernandez took over for the eighth and gave up a leadoff single to Yuniesky Betancourt. Gomez's two-run shot to left pulled Milwaukee within four runs, but Hernandez retired the next three batters.

J.J. Putz then closed the game in the ninth.

Game Notes

The Diamondbacks have hit a grand slam in their last four home games. Roberts hit one against the Dodgers on September 27 and Cole Gillespie had a grand slam the following day in the regular season finale...They also became the first team to hit grand slams in consecutive postseason games since the 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers. Ron Cey hit one in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Phillies, while Dusty Baker recorded a slam in Game 2...Arizona is 5-0 in home elimination games all-time...Milwaukee beat the Angels in the 1982 ALCS before falling to St. Louis in the World Series.