MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3 to fall behind 1-0 in the 2023 MLB Wild Card Series. Milwaukee starter Corbin Burnes sent the Diamondbacks down in order in the top of the first. In the bottom half, Arizona’s rookie starter Brandon Pfaddt allowed three straight base runners to start his postseason. He conceded a walk to Christian Yelich and a single from William Contreras. With runners on the corners, Carlos Santana singled up the middle to bring in Yelich to give the Crew a 1-0 lead. Pfaddt responded with three straight strikeouts of Mark Canha, Sal Frelick and Willy Adames to escape further damage.
After Burnes put up a zero in the top of the second, Josh Donaldson led off the bottom half with a single. Brice Turang dribbled a sacrifice bunt to advance Donaldson. The next batter, Tyrone Taylor cleared the left field fence to increase the lead to 3-0. Yelich followed with a single before Pfaddt retired Yelich on a fielder’s choice and Santana on a fly out to end the frame.
Arizona answered in their half of the third. Even Longoria struck out to open the stanza. Geraldo Perdomo laced a single before Corbin Carroll opened the second trip through the order with a two-run blast to cut the gap down to 3-2. The next batter, Ketel Marte followed with a solo shot to even the score at 3-3.
The offensive tradeoff continued in the last of the third. Canha struck out to lead off the inning, Frelick rolled over a bunt single and Adames doubled. With runners on second and third, Josh Donaldson popped out to shallow center, which ended Pfaddt’s day at 2.2 innings with three runs allowed. Joe Mantiply came on in relief and walked Turang to load the bases. Mantiply settled in and got Taylor to ground out and avoid further damage.
Gabriel Moreno gave the Diamondbacks their first lead of the night with a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning. Burnes sent the next three D-Backs down in order to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Mantiply forced Yelich to ground out before his outing concluded with a brief stat line of 0.2 shutout innings. Miguel Castro entered and conceded a walk to Contreras before he retired Santana and Canha to complete the frame.
In the fifth with Arizona up 4-3, Burnes walked Perdomo and Carroll to open the inning before the Crew went to rookie Abner Uribe out of the bullpen. Burnes tossed four innings and gave up four runs with five strikeouts. Uribe got Marte to hit into a fielder’s choice which advanced the runners to second and third for Tommy Pham who struck out for the second out. Christian Walker loaded the bases following a four pitch walk. The ensuing batter, Moreno grounded out to end the threat.
In the bottom of the fifth, Diamondbacks’ manager Torey Lovullo went to Ryne Nelson, his third reliever of the game. Frelick, Adames and Donaldson each singled to load the bases with no one out. Nelson struck out Turang before Lovullo called to the bullpen for Ryan Thompson who got Taylor to line out into a double play which ended the inning.
After a scoreless sixth from Elvis Peguero and Hoby Milner for Milwaukee and Thompson for Arizona, Corbin Carroll hit a lead off single off of Joel Payamps. The intial threat was avoided following a Ketel Marte flyout and a strike em’ out throw em’ out double play from Payamps to Contreras to Turang which retired Pham and Carroll. Kevin Ginkel faced the minimum in the bottom of the seventh.
Payamps allowed Walker and Moreno to reach in the top of the eighth, but retired the next three. He finished the day tossing 1.2 innings of shutout ball. Ginkel sent the Brewers down in order for the first time in the last of the eighth. Devin Williams gave up a two-RBI double to Christian Walker with two strikes and two outs in the ninth to increase the Arizona lead to 6-3. Bryse Wilson took over and retired Moreno to end the frame. Paul Sewald earned the save in the ninth.
Burnes took the loss and Mantiply picked up the win. The Brewers must win tomorrow to force a decisive third game on Thursday. Freddy Peralta 12-10, 3.86 regular season) takes the hill against Zac Gallen (17-9, 3.47 regular season). First pitch is scheduled for 6:08 p.m. CT.
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