Milwaukee @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2011 ) Milwaukee 1, Arizona 8

THE STORY: A pair of rookies in Paul Goldshmidt and Josh Collmenter combined to keep the Arizona Diamondbacks alive on Tuesday night. It will be a veteran who will determine if the team will head back to Milwaukee for a chance at advancing to the National League Championship Series. Joe Saunders will start in a pivotal Game 4 of the Division Series as the Diamondbacks attempt to even the series at two games apiece against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday night.

TV: 9:37 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Brewers LH Randy Wolf (13-10, 3.69 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Joe Saunders (12-13, 3.69 ERA).

Wolf stumbled a bit at the finish, allowing 10 runs and 19 hits in 11 2/3 innings over his final two starts of the regular season. Wolf lost to Arizona twice in 2011, yielding a total of 10 runs - nine earned - in 13 1/3 innings. He is 7-2 with a 3.43 ERA in nine career starts at Chase Field.

Saunders got roughed up a bit in the regular season finale, breaking up a string of six straight starts allowing three earned runs or less. He worked once against Milwaukee in 2011, allowing two runs over seven innings on July 20, but did not factor in the decision. Saunders had more trouble at Chase Field than on the road, posting a 3-6 record with a 4.42 ERA at home this year.

ABOUT THE BREWERS: Milwaukee had a chance to close it out on Tuesday but could not coax a good start out of Shaun Marcum, who seemed to fight with his command from the start. After totaling 20 hits in the first two games, the Brewers offense was held to three in Game 3.

ABOUT THE DIAMONDBACKS: Goldschmidt hit the first postseason grand slam in club history and tied a franchise mark with five RBIs on Tuesday. Collmenter took that run support and cruised through seven innings to give Arizona an easy 8-1 triumph. Miguel Montero, who had gone 0-for-8 in the first two games, added a pair of RBIs. The Diamondbacks are bidding to become the first NL team to come back from an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series in the wild card era.

FINAL PITCH: Milwaukee is the lone playoff team with a losing road record but was much better in the second half. The Brewers lost back-to-back games away from Miller Park only once after July 24.