Diamondbacks 2023 Season Review: NL Wild Card Series
The Diamondbacks clinched a postseason birth following a loss on the 161st game of the season. Thanks to another loss in Game 162, coupled with a Miami Marlins win, both teams finished 84-78. Due to the Marlins having the head-to-head tiebreaker, Miami was the 5th seed and the D-backs were the 6th. That sent the D-backs off to face the Brewers in Milwaukee, while the Marlins had to go into the cauldron of Citizens Bank Park to face the Phillies.
Despite an offensive slump to end the season, I wrote on October 1st that a relaxed Diamondbacks team playing with house money was a more dangerous team than the odds makers were giving credit for. Zac Gallen voiced this sentiment during the clinching celebrations "Come October 3rd, slates clean. It's time to just have fun, see what happens. We play fun and loose, we should be alright."
Most considered the Brewers a more advantageous matchup for the D-backs than the Phillies. Despite Milwaukee's excellent starting pitching and bullpen, the Brewers ranked poorly on offense and overall the Diamondbacks seemed to match up better. Arizona took the regular season series, 4-2, with a 30-19 run differential advantage. Those games were played earlier in the year however, when the D-backs lineup was hitting much better. Encouragingly, they had a good game on offense on June 19th against their Game 1 starter and Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, scoring seven runs on eight hits in just five innings.
The Game 1 starter for the Diamondbacks would be Brandon Pfaadt. Gallen and Merrill Kelly had to pitch the last couple of games of the regular season and were not available for the series opener. Pfaadt carried a 5.72 ERA as a rookie, but had been pitching better since his third call up. Torey Lovullo more than hinted about what his postseason strategy would be when it came to managing the pitching staff. "I think that you've got to manage the best way you can to stop momentum, stop runs, and win baseball games period. Plain and Simple."
Game 1. Diamondbacks 6, Brewers 3
That Philosophy was tested early. Pfaadt gave up three early runs and lasted just 2.2 innings before Lovullo turned it over to the bullpen. The D-backs had to play come from behind baseball and they did exactly that. Corbin Carroll hit 444-foot blast for a two-run homer off Burnes in the third. Ketel Marte went followed with a solo shot to tie it up immediately after. Gabriel Moreno hit a go-ahead solo homer of Burnes in the next inning, giving the D-backs a 4-3 lead they would never relinquish.
Lovullo sent out five different relievers to get to the 9th inning, and none of them allowed any runs. Evan Longoria made a game-saving double play with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, in what might have been the turning point of the entire postseason. Christian Walker had a big two-run double in the 9th to give closer Paul Sewald some breathing room. He wouldn't need it, retiring the side in order as the D-backs took Game 1 against the Brewers best starter in come from behind fashion.
The D-backs were just 1-10 with runners in scoring position, but slugged their way to victory with three homers and a double. Ironically perhaps, Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo were both caught stealing, while Walker and Tommy Pham each had a stolen base.
Game 2. Diamondbacks 5, Brewers 2
It was the Diamondbacks turn to send their ace to the mound in game two. Zac Gallen went up against Freddy Peralta. Gallen gave up two runs in the first, and once again the D-backs were in an early hole playing uphill baseball. Once again they showed their resiliency by coming back. Gallen settled down and started putting up zeroes after that, giving his team a chance to come back.
It took a little while. Peralta was pitching great, taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning. With two outs in the frame, Alek Thomas broke up the no-no and the shutout with a huge solo homer, closing the gap to 2-1.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell stuck with Peralta in the 6th and that backfired on him. Perdomo drew a walk to the start the inning, Carroll doubled him over to third, and Marte singled them both home to put the D-backs ahead 3-2. Counsell went to Abner Uribe, who gave up a walk, two base hits, and threw a wild pitch, allowing the D-backs to plate two more runs in the inning for a 5-2 lead.
Gallen made it all the way to the end of the 6th inning on 100 pitches before giving way to the bullpen. Ryan Thompson threw a scoreless inning, but Kevin Ginkel gave up three hits in the 8th and had to be rescued by Andrew Saalfrank who got two big groundouts without a run scoring, successfully bridging to Sewald. Sewald locked down the save, and the series, as the D-backs had upset the Brewers by sweeping them two straight. Arizona had advanced to the National League Division series to face the mighty Dodgers.
One down note of concern was that Moreno had to be removed from the game with a head injury suffered on a backswing. Although he never entered the concussion protocol, it wasn't known immediately after the game if he would miss any time. After the game, Moreno was seen celebrating with the team and was cleared to play in the NLDS.
