MILWAUKEE — The Arizona Diamondbacks tagged Brewers ace Corbin Burnes for three home runs en route to a 6-3 victory over Milwaukee on Tuesday night in the first game of a National League wild-card series.
Arizona can sweep the best-of-three set with another road victory on Wednesday.
Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte hit back-to-back homers in the third inning as the Diamondbacks erased a 3-0 deficit. Gabriel Moreno put Arizona in front 4-3 with a leadoff homer in the fourth, a 425-foot shot to left-center.
Christian Walker added a two-run double in the ninth off Brewers closer Devin Williams, who walked three in the inning.
Six Arizona relievers preserved the victory over the NL Central champions by combining for 6 1/3 scoreless innings. Rookie Brandon Pfaadt allowed three runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings, striking out four and walking one in a 67-pitch start.
Joe Mantiply (1-0), the first pitcher out of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, got the win after recording two outs. Paul Sewald earned his first career postseason save with a scoreless ninth
The Brewers loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth on consecutive singles by Sal Frelick, Willy Adames and Josh Donaldson. Brice Turang struck out as the final batter faced by Ryne Nelson, and Ryan Thompson took over on the mound. Arizona third baseman Evan Longoria then leaped to snag Tyrone Taylor’s scorching liner and doubled Adames off second.
Burnes (0-1) departed after walking the first two hitters in the fifth. He gave up four runs on five hits while striking out five and walking two.
In the Arizona third, Geraldo Perdomo singled with one out and Carroll, who had 25 homers as a rookie this season, belted a 1-1 pitch 444 feet into the second deck in right-center. Marte then jumped on the first pitch for line-drive homer to right.
Taylor put the Brewers up 3-0 in the second with a two-run homer, after a leadoff single by Donaldson.
Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the first on a walk to Christian Yelich, a single by William Contreras and an RBI single by Carlos Santana.
Right-hander Zac Gallen, 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA during the regular season, will start Game 2 for Arizona on Wednesday. The Brewers had yet to name a starter to replace Brandon Woodruff, who is out due to an injury to his right (pitching) shoulder.
–Jim Hoehn, Field Level Media