Through the first four games of the NLDS, the home team has held serve.
Arizona, after trailing 2-0 in the series, went home to win the last two games in convincing fashion over the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix. Now Brewers and Diamondbacks play the 5th and deciding game of the series with a win or go home mentality.
Game 1 winner Yovani Gallardo returns to pitch game 5 tonight against Arizona’s ace and 21-game winner Ian Kennedy. Gallardo has had plenty of good fortune against the Diamondbacks. He’s 6-0 lifetime against Arizona, including a 3-0 mark this season. Gallardo’s goal is easily defined initially, don’t give the Diamondbacks any runs early.
AUDIO: Gallardo needs to keep the D-Backs off the scoreboard early :20
Ian Kennedy goes for Arizona after losing the series opener to the Brewers. he’s 1-2 lifetime against the Brewers, including a 1-1 mark this season.
The Diamondbacks are full of confidence following back-to-back wins in Phoenix. But Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said his team is plenty confident as well.
AUDIO: Ron Roenicke said his team is confident going into series finale :18
Gallardo says it’s comforting to have game 5 at Miller Park. The Brewers worked hard to secure the #2 seed to get home field for the divisional playoffs. It’s a big deal because their home record this season is remarkable. The Brewers finished the year 54-27 at Miller Park.
AUDIO: Gallardo glad to have game 5 at home :22
Both managers, Ron Roenicke of the Brewers and Kirk Gibson of the Diamondbacks will be pulling out all of the stops. It’s do or die. You lose and you go home. Roenicke said he’d have no problem going to the teams #2 starter, Zach Greinke if he needed to.