PHILADELPHIA — There was that bit of bedlam at The Bank, as usual, but there’s sure to be depression on the streets of this crazy city (sports and otherwise) today. The upstart, mostly unknown Diamondbacks, who overachieved just to slide into that sixth and final postseason position, ended the Phillies’ initially impressive playoff run and are headed to their first World Series since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling ended the Yankees’ dynastic three-year run and carried them to the title.
This Diamondbacks team strikes a stark contrast between their previous veteran-laden World Series entrant, and certainly these star-infused Phillies, who entered the series an enormous favorite based on bigger names. But never mind their Q ratings, these Diamondbacks can play (plenty more on that later.)
The Phillies looked to justify their favorites’ status by dominating the first two games here before the Diamondbacks used a pair of one-run victories to get back into the series, then capped off the series by winning two straight at baseball’s toughest road venue in October. Arizona held on for a 4-2 victory to become the most surprising National League champion in decades and set up a World Series matchup with the Rangers, yet another team featuring big names and bigger power.
The Phillies franchise waited 140 years to play their first ever Game 7 — yes, that stat, as unbelievable as it may seem, is correct — and it resulted in one of the most upsetting home defeats you could imagine. Predictably, the boobirds in this tough town came out in the late innings for their heroes.
“They played great baseball, plain and simple,” Phillies star Kyle Schwarber said. “They beat us this series, there’s no way around it. … I’m sure this won’t sit right with a lot of guys.”
Arizona’s goal was to hold down the Phillies’ big stars, and between them, Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos, mustered one hit (a line double by Schwarber). The Phillies, who dominated teams early, end their run with a stellar plus-29 run differential, but all these close defeats leave a bitter taste. Meantime, Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll, the sure Rookie of the Year, gathered three hits and a sacrifice fly, stealing the show.
The Diamondbacks, who have been telling us all along they aren’t surprised, did in fact shock the world. The team picked to finish fourth in the NL West combined ample speed, enough power and a deep, shutdown pen of little knowns to stamp their ticket to Arlington, Texas for Game 1 Friday night.
“The guys in the clubhouse never lost faith,” Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen said. “They showed up, they did their business and they finished the job.”
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, who made only moves that worked all week, told us upon arrival here in Philly for Games 6 and 7, “We didn’t come cross country to get our asses kicked.”
When asked about his comment Tuesday night after their improbable pennant was secured, Lovullo asserted, “I said it a couple times because I meant it.”
Instead, they did some butt kicking of their own, taking the final two games before the loudest crowd in baseball.
The Diamondbacks won just 84 games this regular season, and they lost 78. But that doesn’t come close to telling their terrific tale.
This is a good team. This is also a tough team, a resilient team and young team, so young they may not know they aren’t supposed to still be standing.
Forget the regular-season win total. Take a look at October, then judge.
They started their postseason run by traveling to Milwaukee to face the Brewers and their daunting pitching staff, and they swept them. Then they played their forever nemesis Dodgers, and they destroyed the Dodgers, sweeping them, too.
Next up were the Phillies, and if the Diamondbacks were dominant the first two rounds, the Phillies were uber dominant, beating teams with near-historic margins. Then they beat the Diamondbacks 10-0 in Game 2 to go up two games to nothing, and everyone figured this series was over.
Everyone, that is, except for the Diamondbacks, whose players may be too young and feisty to know better. Even general manager Mike Hazen conceded their unexpected pennant ranked “pretty high” in the history of postseason surprises.
Even after the Diamondbacks scored two one-run wins back home and returned here, they needed two more wins in this house of horrors for visitors. It’s so loud the sound can be heard clear back in Center City.
Nothing bothers these kids. And nothing has derailed them yet.
We knew they were a team on the rise but no one expected them to surface this quickly. No one except maybe them. Their meager $120 million payroll isn’t a measure of their worth either. It’s exactly half that of the Phillies, who were built free agency.
This team isn’t about the money, but it’s a money team.
All along they believed they could beat a team with a half-dozen mega-star veterans. And they did just that, for one night at least turning the loudest place in baseball into the saddest.