10/4/23 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Wednesday
4 October 2023 Sports
From Wayne Mausser
Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno homered against Corbin Burnes, helping Arizona erase an early three-run deficit and sending the Diamondbacks to a 6-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday night.
The rally put Arizona in a prime position to advance. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Wednesday. Rookie Brandon Pfaadt lasted just 2 2/3 innings in the opener.
Arizona, which clinched an NL wild card in the final days of the season, had been 0-14 in postseason games when trailing by at least three runs.
Carroll and Marte homered on back-to-back pitches in the third, and Moreno put the Diamondbacks ahead in the fourth. Evan Longoria protected Arizona’s one-run lead in the fifth by robbing Tyrone Taylor of a bases-loaded hit and turning it into an inning-ending double play. Christian Walker provided some insurance with a two-run double off Devin Williams in the ninth.
The NL Central champion Brewers left the bases loaded in the first and third, and they failed to score after loading the bases with nobody out in the fifth. Arizona’s Joe Mantiply, Miguel Castro, Ryne Nelson, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and Paul Sewald combined for 6 1/3 innings of shutout relief.
Milwaukee appeared to have a starting pitching advantage for Game 1 by virtue of clinching its playoff berth early enough to set up its postseason rotation. It didn’t quite work out that way.
Gallen pitched Friday and Kelly went on Saturday, so the Diamondbacks opted against using them on short rest and instead started Pfaadt. Although Pfaadt yielded three runs and seven hits before departing in the third, Burnes also struggled.
The three-time All-Star and 2021 Cy Young Award winner allowed four runs through the first four innings and left with the Brewers trailing 4-3 after he walked the only two batters he faced in the fifth.
Milwaukee opened a 3-0 lead on Carlos Santana’s RBI single in the first and Tyrone Taylor’s two-run homer in the second.
It seemed as if that might be plenty for Burnes, who retired seven of Arizona’s first eight batters. Then the momentum changed in a hurry.
Carroll followed Geraldo Perdomo’s one-out single in the third with a 444-foot drive into the second deck of the stands in right-center. On Burnes’ next pitch, Marte sent a cutter over the right-field wall.
After the Brewers left the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, Moreno homered for the first time since Sept. 2. Moreno’s 425-foot shot came on a 2-2 slider.
The Diamondbacks barely survived a shaky relief performance from Nelson, who typically starts rather than working out of the bullpen.
Sal Frelick and Willy Adames opened the sixth with back-to-back singles. Nelson then walked Josh Donaldson to load the bases for Brice Turang.
It was initially ruled that Nelson’s first pitch to Turang hit him around the foot, which would have brought in the tying run. But the Diamondbacks challenged the call, and it was overturned on a replay review.
Turang struck out, and Thompson got the final two outs with a huge assist from Longoria. Taylor’s screaming liner was grabbed by Longoria, who threw from his knees to double Adames off second.
Zac Gallen (17-9, 3.47 ERA) is pitching for Arizona in Game 2 while Freddy Peralta (12-10, 3.86 ERA) starts for Milwaukee. First pitch is at 6:08.
In the other NL Wild Card game the Phillies won at home over the Marlins 4-1. They play again tonight
In the AL Wild Card game the Rangers shutout the Rays 4-0 in Tampa Bay and the Twins won at home over the Blue Jays 3-1. Both series continue today.
The Packers were back on the practice field Tuesday getting ready for their Monday night game against the Raider in Las Vegas. But Green Bay was already looking healthier at Tuesday’s practice. Jaire Alexander was back out there as was offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins. Also cornerback Eric Stokes, who has not played since last November, took some snaps.
Stokes suffered a season ending foot & knee injury Week 9 of the 2022 season at Detroit. He was on the PUP list to begin the 2023 season and in his first day eligible to return to practice, Tuesday Stokes was back out there. And he was actually nervous for practice.
“It’s a little jitters, I’m not going to lie,” Stokes said. “It’s a little jitters from not having played in a while. I just haven’t played. I knew mentally I was ready, but it was just the point of knowing this was the day, it’s actually time to go out there. And this is what I do. It was just the jitters of missing it.” With Stokes back practicing, the Packers have 3 weeks to determine whether or not to activate him. And it sure doesn’t sound like they will have to decide who plays which cornerback positions just yet.
“He’s not going to play this week,” said cornerback Rasul Douglas. “So we have this week and then next week off. So after those weeks it will probably come up.” “Just getting more practice reps, just getting more comfortable with everything,” Stokes said. “Just getting in the flow of everything, seeing how my foot reacts, how my knee reacts. Seeing how everything will be. When I finally get comfortable with that, then I’m live, I’m back for sure.”
By the time the Packers play their next home game in Lambeau Field October 29th vs Vikings that’s when they will really know if Stokes is going to be part of this 2023 Packers roster. They have 21 days to put him on the active roster or shut him down for the remainder of the year. It’s been a long road to recovery but Tuesday a huge step to the process.
As for Jenkins, returning to the practice field after injuring his knee in Atlanta, he was sporting a new brace. It’s something he doesn’t like,but is working with.
“It took me back to my college days,” Jenkins said. “I really don’t like the brace, but if it’s best for me to be out there and functional, we can do it.” TE Luke Musgrave was also back out there on the practice field though the Packers were without RG Jon Runyan, who gutted through an ankle injury to finish last Thursday’s game against Detroit.
David Stearns was formally appointed as the first president of baseball operations in New York Mets history Monday, taking over the hometown team he cheered as a child.
The former Milwaukee Brewers boss was introduced by owner Steve Cohen at a Citi Field news conference on the heels of a hugely disappointing season. Despite championship aspirations and a record $355 million payroll on opening day, New York dropped out of playoff contention by midsummer and finished fourth in the NL East.
After taking over the Brewers, he enjoyed a winning run while leading Milwaukee’s baseball operations department from September 2015 through the 2022 season before stepping down and moving into an advisory role.
Milwaukee came within one victory of the World Series in 2018 and returned to the playoffs each of the next three seasons. The Brewers won NL Central titles in 2018 and 2021, and another one this year. Stearns agreed to join the Mets last month, and his contract with the Brewers expired Sunday.
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