Forever Young

The "Tat Man" came up huge with the teams
second grand slam in as many nights.

A night after salvaging their season and denying the Milwaukee Brewers a NLDS sweep, the Arizona Diamondbacks have made baseball fans everywhere believers in their 10-6 Game 4 victory Wednesday, forcing a decisive Game 5 Friday night in Miller Park.

It was the gutsy managing of the gritty first-year skipper Kirk Gibson and big lumber of his offense that have kept Arizona's season alive.

Milwaukee got out of the gate quickly with a first inning run off starter Joe Saunders, but the lefty was able to induce an inning-ending double play off the bat of the slugging Rickie Weeks to limit the damage. Carrying the momentum into the bottom of the inning, Arizona promptly loaded the bases against veteran south paw Randy Wolf with only one out.

Rookie Paul Goldschmidt, who became only the third rookie in postseason history to hit a grand slam Wednesday, struck out on four pitches, sucking the air out of the Phoenix crowd. But it was the big thump from one of the littlest guys on the field that sent out the biggest roar of the night.

Ryan Roberts or the "Tat Man" as they call him hit a no-doubt grand slam into the Diamondbacks' bullpen, picking up his rookie teammate by turning a one run deficit into a three run advantage.

Arizona is now only the second team in postseason history to hit grand slams in back-to-back games, joining the 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers, who did it that year in the NLCS against the Fightin' Philadelphia Phillies.

The D-backs were among the majors best with three ducks on the pond in 2011. They led the league with a .387 average and ranked third in grand slams with six behind only the New York Yankees (10) and the Florida Marlins (7).

Center fielder Chris Young followed with a home run of his own, capping a five-run first inning.

While Roberts and Young are responsible for hitting the home runs, it was the decision making of their manager that put them in that position. Prior to the game Gibson made a change to his starting lineup, flip-flopping Roberts and Young, thinking it might ignite a spark and boy did it ever.

But it might have been Gibson's ingenious move in the bottom of third that may have changed their fate this postseason.

With the Brewers slowly chipping away, getting a run in each of the first three innings off Saunders, Gibson elected to pinch-hit for his starter with two on and two out. With only 92 career major league at-bats, rookie Collin Cowgill was called upon in possibly the games biggest moment.

Cowgill delivered a two-run single to left that drew even a grin from his usual stoic manager.

Second baseman Aaron Hill added a home run in the sixth while Young hit his second home run of the game, this time a two-run shot in the seventh, having Arizona total four home runs in the game. Young is the first player in D-backs history to have a multi-home run game in the postseason.

Young claps his hands after hitting becoming
the first D-back in history to hit two home
runs in a postseason game.

Brewer center fielder Carlos Gomez hit a two-run shot in the eighth pulling Milwaukee into within four, but it was too little too late as Gibson used five different relievers over the games final seven innings to get through Game 4 and knot the series at two games apiece.

While Arizona flexed their power at home, Milwaukee continues their swoon on the road. Arizona will look to become one of the rare teams to overcome an 0-2 series deficit in a best-of-five series. Game 5 will once again be a battle of the aces.

Milwaukee is now 1-4 all- time in potential series-clinching games, but are headed home where they had the majors best record during the regular year at 57-24 with one last shot to close out these pesky snakes.

For the Diamondbacks' Ian Kennedy it's a chance at redemption while it's a chance of a lifetime for Yovani Gallardo.