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MILWAUKEE >> Nyjer Morgan did it again for Milwaukee, delivering an RBI single in the 10th inning to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 Friday in Game 5 and send the Brewers to the NL championship series.
Morgan hit a one-out grounder up the middle and Diamondbacks closer J.J. Putz tried in vain to stop it with his leg. Carlos Gomez scored from second, sailing across home plate as a wild throw went high, and Morgan was mobbed by jubilant teammates near the mound.
The latest dramatic finish for baseball’s best home team at raucous Miller Park gave Milwaukee its first victory in a postseason series since it won the AL pennant in 1982.
“We’ve heard all about 1982, so it’s nice to start our own legacy,” slugger Ryan Braun said.
Next, the Brewers move on to face St. Louis, which ousted favored Philadelphia, 1-0.
Arizona did all it could to extend its surprising season. Center fielder Chris Young made a jaw-dropping catch in the sixth and the Diamondbacks had one last comeback left in the ninth.
Willie Bloomquist drove in the tying run with a safety squeeze, but Arizona was unable to forge ahead against closer John Axford.
“This was a great baseball game today. I’m not happy to be on this end of it. Yet I’m proud of my team and they played true to the way they played all year,” Arizona manager Kirk Gibson said.
