MILWAUKEE, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Miguel Batista pitched five innings Saturday night and then watched the bullpen blow a three-run lead as Jeromy Burnitz's RBI single in the ninth inning lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-4 victory over the playoff-bound Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona has two of the best pitchers in the National League in Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson, giving them a devastating 1-2 punch in the postseason. But who among Batista, Bobby Witt and Albie Lopez gets the call in a Game 3 has been a mystery.
Batista made his case Saturday night, allowing one run and three hits before leaving with a 4-1 lead. Mike Koplove surrendered two runs in the seventh before Brian Anderson allowed a game-tying single to Geoff Jenkins.
The Diamondbacks stranded two runners at third base in the ninth and Erik Sabel (3-2) allowed a walk and a hit in the bottom half before Burnitz lined an 0-1 pitch down the right-field line to plate James Mouton with the winning run.
Burnitz also had a run-scoring grounder in the seventh and his game-winning single gave him 100 RBI for the third time in four seasons.
Reliever Chad Fox (5-2) picked up the win after pitching a scoreless ninth.
Milwaukee's bullpen allowed just two hits in four innings. Mike Buddie pitched two perfect innings in relief of starter Jeff D'Amico and Mike DeJean worked around a hit in the eighth.
