Go crazy, folks! The Arizona Diamondbacks are going to the World Series. In perhaps the most surprising moment in the 2023 baseball season, a rag-tag group of young players have defied the odds and shocked the baseball world. From winning a mere 84 games in the regular season and losing four in a row to end the season to winning an exhilarating game 7 of the National League Championship Series, there’s been plenty of exciting moments that led to this most improbable run to the World Series. It’s almost impossible to comprehend and unravel, but that’s what I’m going to attempt to do.
The Diamondbacks opened up the 2023 season as an afterthought after losing 88 games in 2022 and losing 110 games the year before that. In fact, finishing the 2023 season with 81 wins seemed highly unlikely. Then, the Dbacks did the improbable by finishing tied for first place in the National League West with the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into the All-Star Break. After that, however, the Diamondbacks performance dropped off significantly going 7-25 through the month of July and early August, which included a 9 game losing streak. Just like that, it was a moment all too familiar for Dbacks fans, impending collapse. The team acquired closer Paul Sewald and outfielder Tommy Pham at the trade deadline, but it still didn’t feel like enough to bounce back into the playoff race. Still, the Dbacks trucked on and got hot in August and Most of September to put themselves in position to make the postseason. However, the Dbacks had a terrible final week of the season and found themselves on the brink of missing the playoffs, again. They clinched a postseason berth on the 161st game of the season by virtue of the Cincinnati Reds losing in a major blowout against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dbacks backed themselves into a postseason spot. They finished the season with a 4 game losing streak and as the number 6 seed in the National League playoffs. Despite making the playoffs, the outlook was grim.
The Diamondbacks entered the playoffs with a 4 game losing streak and having to play on the road against the National League Central Division champions Milwaukee Brewers in a best of 3 Wild Card series. The Dbacks made easy work of the Brewers by winning the first two games and picking up a mini-two game sweep to set-up a intradivision match-up against National League West champions Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series. This series was a more daunting task for the young Dbacks squad, but they jumped on the big bad Dodgers early in game 1 by scoring 6 runs against Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw who recorded just one out in the first inning before being pulled from the game. The Dbacks ultimately won 11-2. They won game 2 by a score of 4-2 and went back to Phoenix for game 3 with a chance to sweep and advance to the League Championships Series. The Dbacks dominated game 3 as well. They hit 4 home runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning to take the early lead. In doing so, they became the first team in playoffs history to hit 4 home runs in a single inning. The Dbacks would win game 3 by a final score of 4-2. They swept their division rival Dodgers who had won 100 games and the NL West title. The 84 win Dbacks still had life. Their next opponent would be the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series.
The Diamondbacks opened up the League Championship Series with two road games against the 90 win Phillies team. The Dbacks lost both games by a score of 5-3 and 10-0. The Dbacks went home with their backs against the wall and needing to win at least two games to keep their season alive. That’s exactly what happened. The Dbacks were tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded when Ketel Marte delivered a walkoff blooper to center field, winning Game 3 2-1, allowing the Diamondbacks to trim the series deficit to 2-1. The losing pitcher for the Phillies was Craig Kimbrel. Kimbrel was again the victim of another miraculous comeback by the feisty Diamondbacks when he entered Game 4 with a 5-3 lead for the Phillies in the bottom of the 8th, but Kimbrel gave up a pinch-hit two-run home run to outfielder Alek Thomas. Suddenly, the game was tied. Catcher Gabriel Moreno capped the 3-run inning for the Dbacks with a base hit to give his team a 6-5 lead. Dbacks closer Paul Sewald recorded the save in the top of the 9th. The series was now tied. Unfortunately, the Dbacks lost game 5 and found themselves down 3-2 in the series and having to win two games in the raucous Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Diamondbacks dominated game 6 by notching 5 runs and stellar pitching performances by Starter Merrill Kelly and relief appearances from Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saalfrank, Kevin Ginkel, and Paul Sewald. The Dbacks won game 6 by a final score of 5-1. Just like that, there was life for the Diamondbacks as they survived to play another day. Game 7 proved to be a nail-biter and a back and forth affair. The Dbacks took the early lead in the 1st inning 1-0. The Phillies tied the game at 1 in the bottom of the 2nd. The Phillies took the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the 4th, but it didn’t last long as the Dbacks scored twice in the top of the 5th to take a 3-2 lead in the penultimate game 7 of the National League Championship Series. They added one more run in the top of the 7th and finished the game with a 4-2 defeat of the Phillies and advancing to their first World Series since 2001. In addition to timely offense from the Diamondbacks, the Dbacks pitching unit put together another solid performance. Rookie starter Brandon Pfaadt pitched 4 innings followed by relievers Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saalfrank, Kevin Ginkel, and closer Paul Sewald. The improbable happened. The Dbacks are National League Champions.
The Arizona Diamondbacks will face the American League Champions Texas Rangers in the World Series starting at 5:03 pm on Friday October 27th. They will be seeking their 2nd World Series title. The Rangers are seeking their first World Series title in franchise history. Both teams lost upwards of 100 games in 2021. The Dbacks lost 110 games that year and the Rangers lost 102. now, two years later, both teams will battle it out for baseball’s biggest prize. Get your popcorn ready.
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