National League Wild-Card Game Recap

If you like hitting, you like what the Arizona Diamondbacks did in beating the Colorado Rockies 11-8 on Wednesday night in the National League wild-card game.

Paul Goldschmidt got the D’backs off to a quick start in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer and Arizona added three triples among its 17 hits to advance to the NL Divisional Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. One of those triples came from relief pitcher Archie Bradley to drive in two runs.
And for good measure the Diamondbacks also bunted in a run in a three-run eighth inning.

Give the Rockies some credit. Down 6-0 early, they came back with four runs in the fourth and closed to 6-5 in the seventh and narrowed it to 8-7 in the top of the eighth. But Arizona scored five times in its last two at-bats and a Rockies’ rally in the ninth resulted in just one run off closer Fernando Rodney.

Arizona’s Ketel Marte became the only player to hit two triples in a postseason game, going three for five and driving in a run.

The Rockies got nothing from a top of the order that had been potent. Leadoff hitter Charlie Blackmon, who led the NL in batting with a .331 average, was hitless in four at-bats and DJ LeMahieu produced nothing in five trips to the plate.

The Diamondbacks, who finished second in the NL West, now face the NL West winners Friday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers (104-58) had the best record in baseball during the regular season.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman