Raising Arizona: 6 in 9th does it
PHOENIX - As Conor Jackson's two-run single bounced through Milwaukee's drawn-in infield, the Arizona Diamondbacks poured out of their dugout as if they had won a title.
All they had really done was reach .500. But it felt like a monumental achievement for the slumping NL West leaders.
In one of the more improbable victories in team history, the Diamondbacks overcame a five-run deficit in the ninth inning to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-5, yesterday. After being shut out for eight innings, the Diamondbacks sent seven men to the plate in the ninth, and every one reached base.
"Hopefully, this will kind of spark us and get us going," said Chad Tracy, whose three-run, pinch-hit double was pivotal. "That looked like the old Diamondbacks right there, battling back and never giving up."
The victory lifted the Diamondbacks to 43-43 and kept them 1 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Afterward, they still weren't quite sure how they had done it.
"I was almost in shock, basically," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "We played possum for eight innings, and in the ninth inning we surprised them. Don't ask me."
For the Brewers, the loss put an agonizing end on a 5-5 road trip to Atlanta, Minnesota, and Arizona.
"It was a very tough loss for us today, especially going into the ninth inning, 5-0," said closer Salomon Torres (4-2), who blew his third save in 18 chances. "It appears to be the deal was sealed, but apparently it wasn't."
Three Arizona reserves - Robby Hammock, Chris Burke, and Augie Ojeda - breathed life into a seemingly moribund team.
Hammock led off with a single against reliever Guillermo Mota. Burke drew a walk and then Ojeda loaded the bases with a scratch single to second.
The Chase Field crowd of 23,842, or what was left of it, was suddenly on its feet and cheering. Lefty Brian Shouse came on to face Tracy, batting for the pitcher.
Tracy was hitless in seven at-bats against lefthanders this season, but Melvin had no righties on his bench. Tracy said he knew he'd have trouble with Shouse's slider, so he went up looking for a fastball.
Shouse delivered one on his first pitch, and Tracy belted it into the gap in right-center to clear the bases and make it 5-3.
On came Torres, who gave up a bloop single to Justin Upton, putting runners at the corners. Orlando Hudson's double down the left-field line made it 5-4.
With Upton at third and Hudson on second, the Brewers brought the infield in. Jackson bounced a single up the middle and a party broke out at home plate.
Arizona's rally wasted a big day by Milwaukee shortstop J.J. Hardy, who homered, doubled twice, and singled. The four hits matched a career high.
