Fielder leads Brewers to Game 1 win

MILWAUKEE -- Yovani Gallardo could barely see the return tosses from catcher Jonathan Lucroy, losing them in the bright light filtering through the windows at Miller Park.

Imagine how the Diamondbacks felt.

Gallardo emerged from the shadows, outpitching Arizona ace Ian Kennedy as the Brewers kept winning at home with a 4-1 victory in Game 1 of the NLDS yesterday.

"It was tough for me seeing the ball coming back, just having the sun there in the background. I was just hoping Luc didn't throw one at my face," said Gallardo, who knew the shadows would play a role late. "When you have the lead, for myself, I was just going to keep going out and be aggressive knowing little things like that."

Prince Fielder chased Kennedy with a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning, helping erase the stigma that the big slugger's playoffs would be anything like 2008, when he went 1-for-14.

Same, too, with Gallardo.

The righthander retired 14 of 15 during one stretch, perhaps helped by how the shadows cut across the infield. With an early start time, the sun peeked through the retractable roof all afternoon, creating a crazy, changing pattern.

"I've played here almost two years now, so I've kind of gotten used to it. But I can imagine some of the guys on the other team, and the umpires, too, having problems with it," Lucroy said. "It's tough. It's hitting different. Dark, light, dark coming down through the strike zone. It's tough to see sometimes."

Gallardo gave up one run and four hits in eight innings and matched a postseason franchise record with nine strikeouts. He was nicked only by Ryan Roberts' home run in the eighth, winning his first postseason start since a Game 1 loss in the 2008 NLDS to Philadelphia.

Jerry Hairston Jr., playing in place of starter Casey McGehee, put the Brewers ahead for good in the fourth with a sacrifice fly set up by Fielder's double.

Ryan Braun, who finished second to Jose Reyes in the NL batting race, contributed three hits. The All-Star leftfielder also threw out a runner at the plate in the first inning as Milwaukee's shaky defense suddenly was solid.