Diamondbacks 1 - 4 Brewers
Final
  for this game

Brewers, upstart D'Backs kick off NLDS play at Miller Park

Oct 1, 2011 - 2:41 PM

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(Sports Network) - After back-to-back seasons with over 90 losses there weren't many people who were picking the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the National League West this season.

But that's exactly what happened, as Arizona returns to the postseason for the first time since 2007 and opens the best-of-five National League Division Series this afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Arizona lost 97 games last season and was an afterthought heading into this year. However, the team took on the identity of manager Kirk Gibson, got terrific seasons from an emerging ace in Ian Kennedy and a burgeoning superstar in Justin Upton and easily claimed the fifth division title in team history, finishing a comfortable eight games in front of the defending world champion San Francisco Giants.

"We finished a great regular season," Gibson said. "The team came together well, we're healthy, and now we've got some decisions to make to see how we're going to attack the Brewers."

Getting the ball for the Diamondbacks in Game 1 will be the 26-year-old Kennedy, who enjoyed a breakout campaign that saw him go 21-4 with a 2.88 ERA. He ended the year strong winning 13 of his final 14 decisions, including his last six, but this will be his first taste of postseason action.

"The playoffs are a totally different animal," Kennedy said. "I've got to experience that and it's something that the regular season can't hold. When you go to the playoffs, it's totally different."

Kennedy tossed seven scoreless to beat the Brewers earlier in the year and is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts against them.

Gibson's crew battled the Brewers for the second seed in the National League up until the season's final day before Milwaukee finally emerged.

While securing home-field for the first round was an important goal for both Milwaukee and Arizona, it was even more important for the Brewers, who set a franchise record by going 57-24 at Miller Park this season.

"It's special, said Ryan Braun. "We recognize that we're a really tough team to beat here. It's a huge advantage for us to know that we have home-field advantage, at least for the first round. It was definitely a goal of ours from the beginning of the year."

The Brewers were a trendy pick in NL Central entering the year thanks to the acquisitions of Shaun Marcum and Zach Greinke, After a rough start to the year Milwaukee began to separate itself from the pack and claimed its first division title since winning the American League East in 1982, the same year of the team's last and only trip to the World Series.

Milwaukee, back in the postseason for the first time since 2007 and only the fourth time in team history, will open the series with right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who led the team in wins (17) and strikeouts (207) while working 207 1/3 innings, and pitched the team's only complete game.

Over his final three regular-season starts Gallardo pitched to a 1.77 ERA and struck out 36 batters over 20 1/3 frames.

"I'm going to just focus on the game," said Gallardo, who did not allow an earned run in seven innings in the 2008 postseason. "That's the goal. Obviously, it's going to be exciting for all of us, but I just need to do what I've been doing all year."

The Mexican hurler has also dominated the Dimaondbacks over the course of his career, going a perfect 5-0 in five starts against them, while pitching to a splendid 1.20 ERA.

Arizona won four of its seven meetings with the Diamondbacks this past season.






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