Diamondbacks were motivated to keep Phillies out of Chase Field pool

PHOENIX — There will be no pool party at Chase Field in the 2023 National League Championship Series.

That was set in stone for the Arizona Diamondbacks when the Philadelphia Phillies won the first two games of the series, and Arizona clinched the series being decided in Philly by taking the next two.

After a dominant Game 2 victory, the Phillies had to feel good about potentially clinching a World Series berth in five games or fewer, and thus, a swim in the Chase Field pool too.

“I’ve seen that pool before, so I know exactly where it is,” Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs said Wednesday via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “If we take two here against Arizona, we’ll be bee-lining it for the water.”

Word of that got back to the D-backs clubhouse and manager Torey Lovullo made sure to mention it when talking about what motivates his team.

“I think they takes things personal. They got a chip on their shoulder,” he said Friday after the Game 4 win. “I know their backup catcher made a statement about making a bee-line to the pool. I think they’re wearing that a little bit. And they’re motivated by that externally and they’re motivated to be as good as they possible can be internally.”

The D-backs, of course, have been here before.

The Los Angeles Dodgers did a pool celebration at Chase Field after winning the 2013 National League Divisional Series, an act D-backs team president Derrick Hall once spoke out against before later saying he was fine with it. And would be if the Dodgers wanted to do it again in 2023 for this year’s NLDS.

Arizona took that series down, and, you guessed it, celebrated in the pool.

Maybe there’s a river or something by Citizens Bank Park. Actually, there are two. Well, that might be a tad cold, though. Nevermind. Regardless, the only chance of one more pool party would be if the D-backs advance to the World Series and win it in significant fashion.

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