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Going against a Brewers team that had reached the postseason in five of the last six seasons, Arizona, the new “kids” on the block, were a natural underdog going into the series.
October 5, 2023MILWAUKEE – When you get to the postseason, the lights are bright, the moments are big and the pressure can make teams crumble. So for a team with little postseason experience like the D-backs, this postseason created a challenge.
Going against a Brewers team that had reached the postseason in five of the last six seasons, Arizona, the new “kids” on the block, were a natural underdog going into the series.
But they didn’t play like an inexperienced team. They didn’t play like an emotionally overwhelmed team. They played like a team that knew what they were capable of. And it showed.
“Age doesn’t really matter,” ace Zac Gallen said. “I think we had our ebbs and flows in the season. That kind of battle-tested us quicker than maybe we thought.”
Going into Wednesday’s game up 1-0 and forcing Milwaukee’s backs against the wall in a do-or-die Game 2, Arizona was going to see the best out of Brewers’ starter Freddy Peralta. And that they did, as Peralta began the night in cruise control. The Brewers’ right-hander tossed four no-hit innings, facing just one over the minimum in that span.
But not even for a second did it feel like Arizona was ever out of the game.
The way the D-backs were able to cut a deficit in Game 1 against Corbin Burnes, two runs wasn’t going to be enough. And just like that, they cracked the door as Alek Thomas’ solo shot in the fifth inning broke up both the no-hitter and the shutout.
It was all Arizona needed to make their move. They proceeded to score four runs in the sixth inning, chasing Peralta from the game as their dream of moving on started to become a reality.
“I think the guys that we have are built for the moment,” Thomas said after the game. “And I think it showed the last two days.”
The Arizona Diamondbacks reached the postseason for the first time since 2017 and with their 5-2 victory and sweep of the Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, they’re going to be moving on to NLDS where the Dodgers await them. It was also the Dodgers who they faced the last time they were in the NLDS.
“I’ve known these kids for five or six years as they have been developing in the system, and it is a true connection,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “That’s what I’m thinking about right now when I get asked the question ‘what’s the difference between [2017] and this time?’ The six years. It’s the dark times coming out the other end and then celebrating with kids that I’ve watched basically grow up right before my very eyes.”
The D-backs have been surprising baseball fans all season long, and now their journey continues against one of the NL’s powerhouses. But it doesn’t sound like Arizona wants to be Cinderella.
“I believe in them,” Lovullo said. “They believe in themselves, which is the most important thing. So we’re going to take it one game at a time. We respect every opponent, and we know the ins and outs of their lineup.”