Josh Rojas and Corbin Carroll hit back-to-back homers in the ninth inning to give the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks a 4-2 comeback victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in the final game of the season for both teams.
Rowdy Tellez put the Brewers in front 2-1 in the eighth with his 35th homer, a two-out solo shot to center.
Trevor Gott (3-4) relieved to open the ninth and Christian Walker singled. Rojas then sent a 2-2 pitch 411 feet to center for his ninth homer. Corbin followed with his fourth homer to right.
Sean Poppen (2-2) got one out for the victory, despite giving up Tellez’s homer. Kevin Ginkel finished for his first save.
The Brewers, who led the NL Central by four games on July 30, missed the postseason for the first time since 2017. Milwaukee (86-76) was eliminated from wild-card contention on Monday when the Phillies won at Houston.
The Diamondbacks (74-88) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth against Aaron Ashby. Pavin Smith got Arizona’s first hit of the game with a one-out single, taking second on error by leftfielder Keston Hiura. Walker delivered a two-out RBI single to center.
The Brewers tied it in the fifth when Hiura singled with one out and Victor Caratini followed with a double to right. Hiura scored on Tyrone Taylor’s RBI ground out.
Corbin Burnes, last season’s Cy Young winner, started for Milwaukee and pitched three perfect innings with five strikeouts, giving him the NL strikeout crown with 243. It also pushed his season total to a career-high 202 innings pitched, the first time he has surpassed 200.
Arizona starter Merrill Kelly allowed one run on four hits in six innings, striking out seven and walking two. Kelly also reached the 200-inning plateau for the first time in his four seasons, finishing with 200 1/3, but was denied his career-best 14th victory.
–Field Level Media
