LDN - Sports

D-backs outlast Rockies in NL wild-card game

[October 05, 2017] PHOENIX -- Even with a six-run lead through three innings, the Arizona Diamondbacks understood they had to keep scoring.

They know the division-rival Colorado Rockies too well.

Paul Goldschmidt and Daniel Descalso homered, Archie Bradley and A.J. Pollock had two-run triples, and the Diamondbacks advanced to the National League Division Series with an 11-8 victory over the Rockies in the NL wild-card game on Wednesday at Chase Field.

Neither team's ace lasted four innings.

"That was a wild game," Descalso said. "It felt like the team that scored last was going to win. That offense, they kept coming. They are not going to quit, just like we are not going to quit. That's a great game out there.

"You put Zack Greinke against Jon Gray, it could be a one-nothing, two-one type game. But anything can happen in a wild-card game."

Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Descalso added a two-run shot in the third for a 6-0 lead, but Colorado climbed back within one run in the seventh and eighth innings before Bradley and Pollock provided insurance.

Arizona advances to meet the Los Angeles in the best-of-five NL Division Series starting Friday at Dodger Stadium.

Jake Lamb had four hits, tying a franchise postseason record, and David Peralta and Ketel Marle had three hits apiece for Arizona, making its first playoff appearance since 2011.

Marte had two triples as the Diamondbacks became the first team with at least four triples in a playoff game since the Boston Americans had five twice in 1903.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not totally shocked," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.

Arizona knocked out Colorado starter Jon Gray (0-1) after he gave up four runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings. His only two 10-strikeout games in the regular season came against Arizona.

Greinke did not last much longer, leaving after giving up four runs and five hits in the fourth inning when the Rockies closed it to 6-4. It was 6-5 after Charlie Blackmon's RBI bunt in the seventh.

Bradley's two-out triple gave Arizona an 8-5 lead in the last of the seventh before Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story had bases-empty homers off Bradley in the eighth inning to make it 8-7.

Pollock's two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth off Greg Holland pushed the lead to 10-7, and Jeff Mathis' bunt single drove in another run.

Carlos Gonzalez singled home a run in the ninth inning off Fernando Rodney.

Arizona left-hander Andrew Chafin (1-0) retired the only batter he faced after relieving Greinke in the fourth inning for the victory.

Story, Gonzalez, Gerardo Parra and Jonathan Lucroy had two hits apiece for the Rockies.

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Diamondbacks shortstop Ketel Marte (4) reacts after hitting an RBI triple against the Colorado Rockies during the second inning of the 2017 National League wildcard playoff baseball game at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic via USA TODAY NETWORK

"I don't think you could predict that game coming into this ballpark and in this scenario, with the way Jon Gray's been pitching and Zack Greinke's been pitching," Colorado manager Bud Black said.

"Right away, all hell broke loose, and from then on it was a heavyweight fight, going back and forth. It was a crazy game."

Arizona started immediately against Gray. Peralta and Marte singled before Goldschmidt homered on the seventh pitch of the first inning for a 3-0 lead.

Goldschmidt ended the regular season in an 0-for-17 slide, and he was 0-for-11 against Gray in his career.

Peralta singled and scored on Marte's triple in the second inning to make it 4-0 and knock out Gray. Lamb singled and Descalso hit a one-out homer off Tyler Anderson for a 6-0 lead.

In the Colorado fourth inning, Gonzalez, Story and Parra singled for one run. After the second run scored on a groundout, Lucroy and pinch hitter Alexi Amarista had RBIs hits to make it 6-4.

Greinke gave up six hits and four runs in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out one and walked one.

NOTES: This was the fourth meeting between teams from the same division in wild-card history, and the team with the best record in the season series has won all four. The first three were Pittsburgh over Cincinnati (2013), the Chicago Cubs over Pittsburgh (2015) and Toronto over Baltimore (2016). ... NL wild-card hosts had not scored since 2013, a span of 28 innings, until Arizona got three runs in the first inning. ... Colorado ended a seven-year postseason drought, the fifth-longest current streak. Seattle (2001) has the longest. ... Colorado swept Arizona in the 2007 NL Championship Series in the only other time the clubs met in the playoffs. ... Arizona honored former front office employee Christiana Duarte during a moment of silence before the game. She was among those killed in the recent Las Vegas shooting. ... The Diamondbacks won the season series with the Dodgers 11-8, winning the last six meetings.

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