On final 2 outs, D-backs rally for 5 runs in 9th to walk-off Brewers

PHOENIX -- Pat Murphy and the Brewers had a four-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning and were two outs from celebrating a second straight shutout victory -- on a night they’d scratched out some early runs against old friend Corbin Burnes.

Over in the D-backs' dugout, there was tremendous frustration, with manager Torey Lovullo already thinking of what to tell his coaches postgame.

“I was thinking about some things that I was going to make sure that I addressed with the coaches to talk about continuing to remember how good we are, those subtle reminders [for the players],” Lovullo said. “And your frustration builds, because you know that this team is very capable of doing something. We just couldn't get that big hit.”

Then, all of a sudden, Milwaukee couldn't make an out. The D-backs erupted for five runs to complete a walk-off, 5-4 win over the Brewers on Saturday night at Chase Field.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s sacrifice fly scored Geraldo Perdomo from third with the game-winner, capping a wild bottom of the ninth.

“I feel like they’re a very momentum-based team. Once one guy gets on, it’s next guy up, next guy up, next guy up, and that’s what we saw tonight,” said Milwaukee reliever Nick Mears, who did his job in keeping Arizona off the bases in a 1-2-3 eighth, and knows well how dangerous the D-backs can be. “It can happen quick.”

Saturday it did, with Arizona going from looking lifeless at the plate to celebrating on the field.

For Milwaukee, the fateful ninth started with a decision. While closer Trevor Megill warmed, the Brewers extended the 3-0 lead they’d built against Burnes to a 4-0 advantage, which prompted a change of plans to Joel Payamps, the long-reliable setup man who is off to a particularly poor start this season.

Murphy said the decision was unanimous among the Brewers' coaching staff, both because Megill had thrown 20 pitches the night before in a 7-0 situation -- he hadn’t appeared for a week before that, and needed the work -- and because he’s lately been dealing with knee discomfort that was serious enough to warrant an MRI scan. It came back clean, but Murphy figured a four-run lead offered an opportunity to play it safe.

Payamps retired the first batter he faced, then issued a walk to Gabriel Moreno and allowed a booming triple to Alek Thomas. The D-backs were in business.

Murphy brought in Megill to try and shut it down, but instead, Megill walked Garrett Hampson, who was 2-for-14 on the season, on four pitches. Megill then allowed a two-run double to Corbin Carroll.

“Hampson’s walk, I thought, was pretty crucial,” Lovullo said. “And Corbin was hot, he's on a heater right now, and you just feel like he's going to do something special. So it was probably the build-up that happened.”

Perdomo followed the double by working an eight-pitch walk, after which Jake McCarthy then singled home another run to tie the game at 4 and move Perdomo to third.

After an intentional walk to Josh Naylor loaded the bases, Gurriel lifted a fly ball to right and Perdomo scored easily with the winner.

“It’s amazing,” Perdomo said. “We were about to get shut out again and that was a huge win for us. That was a big break for this team.”

On the other side, Murphy called it “a heartbreaking loss” for the Brewers.

“These losses either hurt you bad or they force you to reach down a little further,” he said. “Our team has always done that. … When you give one away -- you’re going to do that during a season -- but when you give one away, it digs deep. It hurts.”

Megill had departed before reporters were in the clubhouse, but before he left he indicated that the knee was not a factor, according to Murphy.

Still, that’s a concern, Murphy said. Also concerning is the performance of Payamps, who has pitched eight times so far. Four were effective. In the four others, he’s either allowed multiple inherited runners to score, or allowed multiple runs of his own.

“I think it’s a matter of confidence right now,” Murphy said. “I don’t think it’s anything else. It’s tough on any pitcher when you’re giving up runs. He’s had a couple of really tough outings.”

Murphy added, “Hindsight is 20/20. And Megill didn’t throw very well. He got hit hard. Credit the Diamondbacks. They’re the ones who deserve the credit.”