The Arizona Diamondbacks are doing something only two teams have ever done before. They are the third team to win 84 games or fewer and advance to the National League Championship Series. The other two teams are the 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers and 2006 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. Beyond that, the Diamondbacks are an enigma, but in a good way. There is a mix of veterans, role players, and up-and-coming kids who have contributed enough to get this team where they are now.
When the calendar flipped to October, Arizona started the postseason as a heavy underdog. The team has yet to lose in the postseason when they swept the Milwaukee Brewers in two games before completing the sweep of the Dodgers. They’ve won multiple playoff games in a row for the first time since 2007. The last time the Diamondbacks were in the NLCS was in 2007, when the Colorado Rockies swept them.
Arizona Has Arrived
The Diamondbacks Prevailed Over the Dodgers
There’s no denying that the Dodgers have toiled with their division foes in the past. The last time Arizona was in the playoffs was in 2017. That started with a Wild Card win over the Rockies and ended with a Dodgers sweep at home. The tables have turned this time as the Diamondbacks prevailed with a sweep over their division foes. This series got Arizona on a roll right from the get-go, scoring six runs in the first inning against Clayton Kershaw, who recorded one out. Then, in Game 2, the Diamondbacks put up three runs on Bobby Miller before the Dodgers were at the plate. In Game 3, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, and Perdomo annihilated Lance Lynn to just 2 2/3 innings. The Dodgers starters only managed 4 2/3 innings while coughing up 13 runs altogether. They never once took a lead over the Diamondbacks, a team who finished 16 games behind them in the NL West.
No-Name Bullpen Is Giving Diamondbacks a Huge Lift
Andrew Saalfrank, Ryan Thompson, and Kevin Ginkel are three relievers of a no-name bullpen. The trio have been fantastic during the team’s run to the NLCS. Saalfrank made his major league debut on September 5. He immediately became a pivotal piece for the bullpen. He appeared in 10 games during the regular season and has thrown in three postseason games. Ginkel, the hard-throwing 29-year-old, had challenges of establishing his game. He was great during the regular season with a 9-1 record, 2.48 ERA, 70 strikeouts, and four saves. That quality production continued into October with Ginkel getting eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Then, there’s Paul Sewald, the closer who was added in a trade deadline deal with the Seattle Mariners. Sewald immediately solidified the back end of the bullpen, earning 13 saves in the season’s final two months. He is four for four in postseason save opportunities. The combo of Thompson, Sallfrank, Ginkel, and Sewald has given up just two earned runs on 12 hits in 17 1/3 innings.
The Challenge for the Diamondbacks in the NLCS
Both Arizona and Philadelphia are playing their best baseball now. A big reason why they reached this year’s NLCS for a reason. The Phillies are loaded with stars and oozing in confidence. But the Diamondbacks play an aggressive brand of baseball that often causes opponents to make mistakes. Corbin Carroll, Marte, and Walker may need more name recognition of Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Nick Castellanos. The top half of Arizona’s lineup can cause the opposing pitching staff headaches. The challenge for Arizona is simple: they will have to find enough pitching to hang with the Phillies; both teams will likely use their top two starters-Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly for Arizona, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola for Philadelphia. Arizona is a youthful club who have never advanced this far in a postseason. They could do what the Phillies did last season: make it to the World Series.
Main Photo Credit: Syndication: Arizona Republic
