Diamondbacks Pitch to the Brewers’ Fielder, and He Makes Them Pay

MILWAUKEE - Kirk Gibson was a lot of a young Prince Fielder when the father of Fielder, Cecil, and Gibson played together for the Detroit Tigers in the 1990's. The families lived two blocks away, and remember a strong Gibson-your-old Fielder-cracking batting practice home runs at Tiger Stadium. "Gibby always treated me very well," said Fielder.

But in Game 1 of the Division Series National League at Miller Park on Saturday, a bearded adult Fielder ruined things for Gibson, now the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the 21-game winner Ian Kennedy. Fielder grounded an opposite field double to set the game's first run in the fourth inning, then hit a two-run homer to right field in the seventh inning to score 4-1 Milwaukee victory. Game 2 is Sunday afternoon here. In a bit strange coincidence postseason homer after Gibson's decision to pass Kennedy Fielder with two outs and a base open. Reflecting the deciding game 5 of the 1984 World Series, when Gibson, then a tiger, hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning after Goose Gossage talked San Diego manager Dick Williams to put Gibson on the basis . "I do not think about it at all," Gibson said. "I felt bad. I made a bad decision. And sometimes it's how the game goes."

Kennedy, the former Yankee right-hander, struggled with his command throughout the day. He had given up two runs and six hits, when Ryan Braun with two outs in the seventh inning, leaned over the plate in a 1-2 field and hit a double to right. Gibson came out, asking Kennedy, who had thrown 109 pitches, and catcher Miguel Montero whether to face the lefty Fielder or Rickie Weeks hit his right hand behind him.

"I said I wanted to go after him," said Kennedy. "I asked what he thought Miggie, and spoke of walking with him. But I will not do that. If I can not get my tone, which hovers over it, or swings and misses it."

That was fine with Fielder. "That's what you have to do," he said.

Except the 0-1 pitch, a curve, went down and in, right where Fielder could drive it. "I kind of took him to the center of your swing," said Kennedy. Kennedy saw the ball leave the premises with a mixture of amazement and disgust, putting his right hand on top of its lid, as if to say, what should I do?

Gibson came out to remove, and Kennedy walked slowly to the dugout of the towel-waving, sellout crowd of 44,122 sang along to the old Ray Charles hit Fielder, whose only previous postseason was a disaster, "Hit the Road Jack". - He was one of 14 in a loss of the division series four games to Philadelphia in 2008, only homered to end Game 4 - Braun nearly decapitated with a forearm to celebrate.

"I was very lucky to duck in time, because the right hook was fast," said Braun.

Major League Baseball decided to leave the Miller Park roof panels and the enclosed gardens in a sunny and windy afternoon 52 degrees, partly to limit the complicated late afternoon shadows that hitters often complain.

There was not much offense anyway. Yovani Gallardo, Brewers starter, allowed four hits in eight innings, struck out nine and held the Diamondbacks scoreless home until Ryan Roberts run the main centers of the eighth. Aside from the homers, Arizona did not put a runner past first base after the first inning, when two-hop throw Braun field left Willie Bloomquist nailed trying to score from second on a single Justin Upton.

Jerry Hairston Jr., Judge of surprise in the third of Milwaukee in the fall of Casey McGehee (5 of 58), led the first run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Jonathan Lucroy made it 2-0 in the sixth on a two-out Bloop with two strikes.

Although Arizona led the majors with 48 comeback victories, could not break John Axford near Brewers, who retired the side in order in the ninth. With Axford converting his last 43 save opportunities during the regular season, the Brewers have blown a lead in the ninth inning on the first day of opening.

INSIDE PITCH

The hitting coach Don Baylor Arizona, who spent Friday night in hospital after fainting in the clubhouse, he returned to Miller Park on Saturday morning and was on the bench for the game. The tests showed nothing abnormal, Baylor said, and doctors concluded he had had an adverse reaction to medication for his back injury. Asked if the doctors had changed the medication, Baylor said, "I changed myself because I threw it away."