Arizona Diamondbacks at their best when things start to slip away
PHOENIX – Just call the Arizona Diamondbacks “Seabiscuit.”
After all, the famous racehorse would run his fastest only after his opponent caught up with him. It was almost as if Seabiscuit needed to risk losing before he could go and win.
Wednesday at Chase Field the D-backs won their third consecutive game, needing not only to come from behind, but also win in walk-off fashion. It was a thrilling three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles, and one that, for now, will keep the team in the postseason conversation.
“It’s what we do,” D-backs manager Kirk Gibson said of his team’s latest extra-innings win. “The guys are great in these games; they’ve got a good demeanor.
“We’ve been through several of them and we’re very comfortable.”
Perhaps, too comfortable?
The win improved the D-backs’ record to 12-5 in extra-inning affairs. It was their 10th walk-off win of the year, and their 35th come-from-behind victory.
“It’s never over until it’s over,” said Aaron Hill, who hit both the game-tying single in the ninth as well as the game-winner in the 14th. “I know it’s cliché, but these guys have done it all year and it’s fun to watch.”
If not stressful.
“We can’t be like that,” Martin Prado said of expecting to win games like this. “The game dictates how it’s going to be and how we’re going to end. Fortunately for us, the last three games we’ve just been winning in the last moment, which is not bad.
“But I feel like we’ve got to start winning games and not wait all the way until the end.”
At this point, though, with the Los Angeles Dodgers seemingly unable to lose and the Wild Card a battle they are on the outside of looking in, the Diamondbacks will certainly take wins any way they can get them.
Given that every time they appear to be just about done, say, after losing two-of-three to the Mets at home, they go and rattle off a few wins over a team you would not necessarily expect them to beat.
They just won’t quit. Not in a game, and not on their season.
And who knows, maybe a series sweep over one of the better teams the American League has to offer will be just what they need to go on a season-saving run.
“We know we have a great ball team here, we just haven’t played our best baseball this year,” Wednesday’s starting pitcher, Patrick Corbin, said after the 5-4 victory. “Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.”
