D-backs continue run, back in first WS since ’01
-
Jeff Passan, ESPN
PHILADELPHIA — Doubted and dismissed when baseball’s postseason began, the Arizona Diamondbacks have spent October embodying the words of their manager, Torey Lovullo.
“Anything can happen,” he likes to tell them.
What happened Tuesday night set up perhaps the most improbable World Series in baseball history: The Diamondbacks, behind series MVP Ketel Marte, stunned the heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies with a 4-2 victory in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. For the second consecutive night, they sauntered into Citizens Bank Park, a hellscape for visiting teams that had gone winless during the first six games here this postseason, and beat the Phillies twice.
In ousting the Phillies, the 84-win Diamondbacks, who finished 16 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West division, will face the Texas Rangers in their first World Series since 2001. That year, just their fourth since joining in 1998 as an expansion franchise, the Diamondbacks ended the New York Yankees‘ dynasty with Luis Gonzalez’s dramatic walk-off single off Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning of Game 7.
Arizona entered the season with 125-1 odds to make the World Series and Texas at 50-1. Both teams barely snuck into the postseason as wild cards. And both needed to win Game 7s to get to Game 1, which will take place at Texas’ Globe Life Field on Friday at 8 p.m. Caesars Sportsbook installed the Rangers as minus-180 favorites over the Diamondbacks in the World Series.
The Diamondbacks’ Game 7 win proved far more stomach-churning than the Rangers’ 11-4 blowout of the Houston Astros. Arizona rode a tour-de-force game from rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll, who went 3-for-4, drove in two runs, scored two more and stole two bases after spending much of the series struggling. Following a solid four-inning start from rookie Brandon Pfaadt, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, long ineffective and maligned, cobbled together five shutout innings from Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saalfrank, Kevin Ginkel and closer Paul Sewald, who retired pinch-hitter Jake Cave to send the sellout crowd of 45,397 home lamenting what could’ve been.
“Corbin Carroll is even better in person than he is watching highlights on TV,” said Sewald, who secured the final three outs after being acquired at the trade deadline for a moment like this.
It didn’t look like the Diamondbacks would get the opportunity. During the regular season, they allowed 15 more runs than they scored, the second-worst mark ever for an eventual World Series participant, behind the 1987 Minnesota Twins, whose run differential was minus-20. Their 84 wins are tied with the 1973 New York Mets for the second-fewest for a World Series participant, just ahead of the 83-win St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. Losers of their final four games of the regular season, the Diamondbacks backed into the second NL wild-card spot after the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds faltered even worse down the stretch.
In the wild-card round, Arizona swept the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers. In the division series, the Diamondbacks ambushed the Dodgers and swept them, too. They still entered the NLCS as distinct underdogs to the Phillies, though Arizona eventually proved itself more than worthy competition.
Over the first two games, the series looked one-sided. The Phillies took the opener 5-3 and filleted Arizona in Game 2, 10-0. As the series headed to Phoenix, the Diamondbacks grappled with a troubling reality: Lose Game 3 and the series was almost certainly over. Arizona got to Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel to eke out a 2-1 win in Game 3 and chased that with a 6-5 comeback victory that Kimbrel blew spectacularly in the eighth inning.
With the series split, the Phillies beat the Diamondbacks with ace Zac Gallen losing for the second time and found themselves in an ideal position: headed home, where they hadn’t lost all postseason, with a pair of chances to win one game. Philadelphia faltered in its first try, with the Diamondbacks finally starting to look like themselves.
Arizona, which prides itself on creating chaos on the basepaths, stole just one base in the series’ first five games. They ripped four bags during a 5-1 victory in Game 6 and came back in Game 7 ready to do the same.
The offense got started early, a point the Diamondbacks made a priority to quiet the raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd. Carroll, who entered the game with just three hits in 26 at-bats during the series, slapped an infield single and moved to third base on a single from Gabriel Moreno, who, like Carroll, is a 23-year-old in his first full season. A Christian Walker fielder’s choice scored Carroll, and Pfaadt followed with a scoreless first.
Diamondbacks players knew that over the first six games, the Phillies had won the three in which they scored in the first inning and lost the three where they didn’t. Even with that zero in the first, Philadelphia didn’t panic. Alec Bohm, the cleanup hitter whose rough series prompted fans to call for manager Rob Thomson to drop him in the lineup, took Pfaadt into the left-field stands in the second inning to knot the score at 1. Two innings later, Bohm walked and scored on a Bryson Stott double. It looked like the rest of October had here: the Phillies leading, the Bank rocking.
Everything changed in the fifth. Emmanuel Rivera led off with a single against Ranger Suarez and advanced to second on a Geraldo Perdomo sacrifice. Suarez struck out Marte, bringing up Carroll, who after going hitless in 10 at-bats against left-handed pitchers in the series, got his third single of the day off Suarez, scoring Rivera. Thomson removed Suarez, inserted Jeff Hoffman, watched Carroll steal second — one of four Diamondbacks stolen bases for the second consecutive night — and score on a Rivera single, giving Arizona a 3-2 advantage.
The Diamondbacks added another run in the seventh when Perdomo singled, went to third on a Marte double and scored on a Carroll sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-2. Philadelphia had its chances. Saalfrank, a rookie, walked Cristian Pache and Kyle Schwarber with one out in the seventh, prompting Lovullo to call on Ginkel. He induced flyouts from Trea Turner and Bryce Harper — who were a combined 0-for-8 — before striking out Bohm, Stott and J.T. Realmuto in a brilliant eighth inning.
After Sewald locked down the ninth, the Diamondbacks unleashed a most improbable celebration. Snakes alive indeed.
“We’ve been playing really meaningful games for a long time,” Lovullo said before the game — and starting Friday, they’ll play their most meaningful yet.
The 150th running of the Preakness won’t have the fanfare of previous years.
There will be no Triple Crown on the line and no rematch of the 1-2 finishers in the Kentucky Derby after trainer Bill Mott elected to point Sovereignty toward the Belmont and bypass the Preakness.
Just three horses who ran in the Kentucky Derby will run in the Preakness on Saturday — Journalism, who finished second to Sovereignty, American Promise (16th) and Sandman (seventh). Nine horses will enter the race, including several newcomers to the Triple Crown trail.
Top storylines
While a Kentucky Derby winner skipping the Preakness is a rarity over the history of the race, it’s become more common in recent years. Country House, who won the 2019 Kentucky Derby after Maximum Security was disqualified, was not entered into the race by Mott due to a cough. Other ailments ended his career early and he never raced again.
Rich Strike was not entered in the 2022 Preakness and neither was 2021 winner Mandaloun, who was not declared the official winner of the Kentucky Derby until Medina Spirit was officially disqualified after failing a postrace drug test.
The modern order of the Triple Crown races, with the Kentucky Derby first and the Belmont last, was established permanently in 1932, with some exceptions. Notable Kentucky Derby winners who skipped the second leg are: Grindstone (1996, career-ending injury), Spend a Buck (1985), Gato Del Sol (1982), Tomy Lee (1959), Swaps (1955), Determine (1954), Hill Gail (1952), Count Turf (1951) and Lawrin (1938).
This will be the final Preakness run at Pimlico for several years, as the 155-year-old track is set to undergo renovations for the next several years, including the replacement of the current grandstand for a smaller version. The Preakness will move to Laurel Park until renovations are complete.
Betting the Preakness
by Katherine Terrell
What’s the big draw now that the Kentucky Derby winner is out of the race? Journalism, who went off as the betting favorite in the race, gets a chance for redemption.
While putting Journalism on top of our Kentucky Derby bets didn’t quite pan out, he’s certainly going to be a worthy, and heavy, favorite in this race. Don’t take his second-place finish as a knock on his talent — he’s the most accomplished horse in this field.
What about Sandman, who drew significant attention in the Kentucky Derby due to his name? Sandman was named after the Metallica Song “Enter Sandman,” and the band recently posted a video cheering him on ahead of the Preakness.
Sandman’s trainer Mark Casse said the horse had tender feet going into his last race, causing him to sport glue-on shoes, but he has since been switched back to normal horseshoes. Sandman is a closer, meaning he would need a fast pace up front to be able to pass tiring horses and win this race.
Some of the more intriguing newcomers are Goal Oriented, trained by Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen trainee Clever Again. Both are lightly raced, and bettors who are looking for better odds than Journalism provides might hope one of these two horses takes a step forward.
That’s the same situation as Gosger, who is 20-1 on the morning line but recently won the Grade III Lexington Stakes. He will also have to take a step forward or hope Journalism runs poorly off two weeks rest.
Journalism can sit back off the pace and hope the leaders get into a speed duel, a possibility with a lot of speed in the race. Either way, he’ll be a tough favorite to bet.
About the above chart: A Beyer number is a ratings system for speed during races. Some think horses need at least one race where they run a 95 Beyer number or over to be competitive in the Derby. Many of these horses have races where they’ve run over a 100 Beyer number or better.
The logical bet: Journalism to win (8-5) but will require a large bet to get a decent return.
The slightly better odds bet: Clever Again to win (5-1)
Two suggested bets:
-
Exacta box: Journalism/Clever Again
-
Trifecta: Journalism over Clever Again over River Thames, Gosger.
Best plays
by Anita Marks
No. 2 Journalism (8-5) is favored and rightfully so. He ran a great race in the Derby, but Sovereignty was just the better horse that day. With such a small field (nine horses), along with his pedigree, Journalism should dominate.
Other horses I fancy in the Preakness:
Clever Again (5-1) is a unique animal with a lot of talent. I believe he is the second-best horse in the race. Son of American Pharaoh — who won the Triple Crown — and trained by Steve Asmussen, an excellent trainer. He is super fast, is in great form and is training well.
Goal Oriented (6-1): A Bob Baffert horse. and will have one of the best jockeys on his back in Flavien Prat. He has the speed to come out of the No. 1 post and will be sent hard. Son of Not This Time and was the winner of a 1 1/16-mile race on the Kentucky Derby undercard. This will be his third race.
Preakness Plays:
-
To win or place: Clever Again
-
Exacta box: Goal Oriented, Journalism, Clever Again
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway