The Milwaukee Brewers try to secure their first trip to the League Championship Series since 1982 when they attempt to finish off the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 4 of the NLDS at Chase Field.
Milwaukee was denied a sweep in this best-of-five set on Tuesday, as rookies Paul Goldschmidt and Josh Collmenter came up big for Arizona, which staved off elimination with an 8-1 victory.
Goldschmidt hit a grand slam in the fifth inning and tied a Diamondbacks postseason record with five runs batted in.
The 24-year-old Goldschmidt hit the first grand slam in D'Backs postseason history and became only the second MLB rookie since 1998 to hit one in the playoffs (Ricky Ledee for the Yankees in '99).
Collmenter (1-0), who went 10-10 with a 3.38 ERA in the regular season, gave up one run on two hits over seven innings -- a Corey Hart homer and Jerry Hairston Jr. single. He struck out six and walked two.
"That's what the coaching staff is asking ourselves is why is this guy so tough," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said of Collmenter's success against Milwaukee. "But you're right, we haven't hit him three games now, and just two hits off him. We didn't square up too many other balls, Corey Hart lined out to third. Besides that, we didn't square up a lot of balls."
Shaun Marcum (0-1), who went 13-7 with a 3.54 ERA in the regular season, allowed seven runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings for the Brewers, who won the first two games by scores of 4-1 and 9-4.
The Brewers, though, are still one win away from advancing to their first championship series since 1982, when they beat the Angels in the ALCS before falling to St. Louis in the World Series.
Tonight they turn to veteran lefty Randy Wolf, who was 13-10 on the year with a 3.69 ERA, but hasn't pitched since September 27. He also led Milwaukee's rotation in innings pitched (212 1/3).
"He had some huge games for us when we really needed him to win," Roenicke said. "Wolfy has experience. When his command is on and he's got his rhythm going, he can really throw a great ballgame."
Wolf didn't record a decision in either of his two previous postseason starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but did pitch to a 5.00 ERA in those games.
"I feel like, for the most part, I've been pretty consistent," Wolf said. "I think that's what I want to do when I'm out there is, day in and day out, you have a good idea what you're going to get."
Wolf is 10-5 with a 4.64 ERA in 20 games against Arizona, but allowed nine earned runs on 18 hits against the D-backs this season. He's also 7-2 with a 3.43 ERA in nine starts at Chase Field.
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, will counter with a southpaw of their own in Joe Saunders, who was 12-13 with a 3.69 ERA this past season. Saunders is the only starter on Arizona's staff with any postseason experience, as he went 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three playoff starts for the Angels.
"There's a ton of adrenaline," Saunders said. "I remember my first experience ... in Boston, and I just had adrenaline flowing through every inch of my body. And when you do it and you get through it and you realize it's just another baseball game, you kind of settle in and you kind of try to slow everything down."
He's faced the Brewers twice and is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA.
Arizona won four of its seven meetings with the Brewers in the regular season.
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