Diamondbacks seizing moment in final surge of regular season
Sep 20, 2023, 7:05 PM
Corbin Carroll #7 of the Arizona Diamondbacks warms up on deck during the first inning of the MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on September 19, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Diamondbacks are surging. They are having a moment. They are seizing the moment. They are again the talk of Major League Baseball.
After Tuesday’s demolition of the Giants, the Diamondbacks have won five consecutive games. After their punking in Queens, they have responded with a series of clutch performances, suffocating the Cubs and putting a stake in the heart of a division rival.
After tearing through a gauntlet, the Diamondbacks have regained their lost mojo and their grip on a playoff berth. And when the moment mattered most, they rediscovered their identity, which should throw a scare into the rest of the National League playoff field.
RELATED STORIES
On their good days, the Diamondbacks create a special kind of chaos. They force the issue, steal bases and kill you with paper cuts. They challenge your poise with their speed, and in high-stakes baseball, that unrelenting pressure can make a defense crack.
The Diamondbacks look extremely dangerous at the moment because Ketel Marte is an impact player on a hot streak, doing significant damage on even his most undisciplined plate appearances. Christian Walker broke out of a slump on Tuesday. Tommy Pham is exactly the vibe this team needed, a serious-minded sort who has sharpened up the focus. And after moving a couple of chess pieces, the Diamondbacks have miraculously turned around one of the shakiest bullpens in the game.
Most of all, this is a tribute to Corbin Carroll, who should be endorsing a national insurance company. Because he is what mayhem looks like on a baseball field.
Carroll is a live wire, the only player in Major League Baseball history with 25 home runs and 50 stolen bases in his rookie season. The playing field changes the moment he reaches first base because he won’t be there for long. In the blink of an eye, walks and bloop hits effectively becoming triples. Pitchers start mumbling and defenders start pressing. His impact is jarring and highly disruptive to the opponent.
The Diamondbacks must finish the job. They have nine games left and two days off remaining. The schedule is favorable and so is their momentum. And if they somehow land this plane in the winner’s circle, ending a turbulent journey in the 2023 postseason, it will be a triumph for the ages.
