Bradford DoolittleESPN Staff Writer Oct 5, 2023, 12:10am ET4 minutes read
D-Backs celebrate NLDS appearance after win over Brewers
The Diamondbacks celebrate after Paul Sewald defeated William Contreras to complete the sweep and secure a spot in the NLDS.
MILWAUKEE – The Arizona Diamondbacks reeled in the first innings of Game 2 of their NL Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.
Zac Gallen, Arizona’s best righty and a 17-game winner, battled through a determined Milwaukee offense with an onslaught of long at-bats and baserunners. By the end of the first inning, the Brewers had two runs on the board, sent seven batters to the plate and forced Gallen to throw 32 pitches.
After the inning, Gallen met manager Torey Lovullo in the dugout.
“I came in after the first one and said if you give me 110 [pitches]I’ll get you seven [innings]Gallen said. “I lied. I only gave him six.
Lovullo had no problems with the deficit after Gallen recovered from his shaky first game to pitch five scoreless innings, giving his offense a chance to overtake the Brewers and set the table for Arizona’s red-hot bullpen.
With Gallen delivering like a top pitcher, the Diamondbacks completed a two-game sweep with a 5-2 win, setting up an NLDS showdown against the longtime NL West nemesis Los Angeles Dodgers.
Even in this era when managers make a quick move at the first sign of postseason trouble, Lovullo had no problem letting Gallen work his way out of his early stalemate. He ended up going six innings, throwing 100 pitches and allowing just the two runs in the first inning.
“I said go ahead and show me, get it done,” Lovullo said. “He really stepped up and started making pitches and gave us a chance to catch our breath.”
When the young Diamondbacks caught their breath, they were down by those two runs and faced a dominant starter in Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta, who held the Diamondbacks hitless for four⅔ innings.
They had also lost their starting catcher Gabriel Moreno, who left the game with dizziness after being hit in the helmet on a backswing from Milwaukee’s Brice Turang.
But then one of Arizona’s rising stars, outfielder Alek Thomas, provided the latest evidence that, even though this is their first playoff appearance in six years, the Diamondbacks are ready for their close-up.
Thomas fielded a Peralta changeup and pulled it over the right field fence, breaking the no-hitter and shutout. From then on it was all Arizona.
“I think maybe my batting has changed a little bit [Peralta’s] Flow,” Thomas said. “I think together we definitely put together some great shot defense after me and ultimately took the lead.”
This was truly the story of a short series that featured a number of key moments and momentum swings, almost all of which seemed to benefit the Diamondbacks. Not bad for an up-and-coming team that lost 110 games just two seasons ago and has had one playoff win since 2011.
“Considering what we’ve been through and the dark times we’ve had, this is a very special moment,” Lovullo said. “There’s a lot of emotion in this organization, in this clubhouse right now.”
The last time Arizona advanced to the NLDS, they faced a dynastic Dodgers team already on an 11-year streak of playoff appearances, 10 of which resulted in NL West titles. LA swept that series and rolled on, right up to the present.
Meanwhile, in Arizona, things went way down before picking up again. With Wednesday’s win, the Diamondbacks earned a round six-year rematch against the Dodgers. You wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that the Dodgers had the division number, our number,” Gallen said. “I think we’ve also shown a growth in mindset and culture change here, being able to go to Dodger Stadium and hang out with them.”
“It’s an opponent we know. It’s definitely going to be a good test, but everyone in the locker room is excited to get there and see what we’re made of.”