Rookies help Diamondbacks stay alive
Goldschmidt’s grand slam backs starter Collmenter
PHOENIX – Paul Goldschmidt hit a grand slam and tied a franchise postseason record with five RBIs, fellow Arizona rookie Josh Collmenter befuddled Milwaukee batters again and the Diamondbacks stayed alive in the N.L. division series with a 8-1 rout of the Brewers on Tuesday night.
Goldschmidt, who has made big hits a habit since he was called up from Double-A Mobile on Aug. 1, gave Arizona a 7-1 lead in the fifth with a two-out, opposite-field homer to right off Shaun Marcum after Miguel Montero had been intentionally walked.
“Obviously, it was exciting, exciting game,” Goldschmidt said. “Glad we could get the win right here.”
Montero drove in two runs with a single and double, helping cut Milwaukee’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-five series. Game 4 is tonight in Phoenix.
“It’s not a do-or-die game,” Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. “We need to come out and play a solid game, but certainly not do or die.”
With an unorthodox overhand style he says comes from throwing tomahawks as a kid in the Michigan woods, Collmenter limited the Brewers to a run and two hits in seven innings. Corey Hart’s leadoff homer in the third was the only run Milwaukee has scored against the 25-year-old in 21 innings this season.
“It was fun to watch,” Goldschmidt said. “He’s up there throwing strikes, having quick innings. He’s been doing that all year for us so it was nice to see.”
David Hernandez and closer J.J. Putz each pitched a scoreless inning to complete the three-hitter that quieted, at least for one night, the big bats of the Brewers.
Arizona had a major league-best 48 come-from-behind victories in the regular season but the Diamondbacks were on top from the start Tuesday.
Goldschmidt, whose first career triple drove in the deciding two runs in Arizona’s N.L. West-clinching victory over San Francisco, had an RBI single in a two-run first as the Diamondbacks took their first lead in the series.
Montero, 0 for 8 in the first two games, doubled off the wall in center to drive in a run in the first, then added an RBI single in the third. Willie Bloomquist had three singles. He and Montero each scored three times.
Collmenter (10-10 with a 3.38 ERA in the regular season) was chosen by manager Kirk Gibson over veteran lefty Joe Saunders to start. He did not allow a hit after Hart’s home run, retiring 15 of his last 16 batters.