What a time to be a D-backs fan right?
After a dreaded start to the second half of the season, Arizona has gone 8-2 in their last 10 games and has reentered the playoff picture. They now sit just a half-game out of the 3rd wild card spot.
To be honest, most of last night’s game was uneventful. The first 6 frames were scoreless, and after 7 innings, Arizona had only recorded 3 hits (all singles). All the drama came in the later stages of the tilt.
In the 9th inning, we saw something we will not soon forget. We witnessed something that defied all odds…
Diamondbacks victory defied all odds
Miguel Castro unleashed a hard sinker (96 MPH) to Rangers catcher Mitch Garver, causing him to ground out; Thus ending the top of the 9th inning. Score, Rangers 1 - Diamondbacks 0. Arizona’s chances of winning the ball game, 19.4%.
The bottom of the 9th was upon the D-backs and entering the game, was flamethrowing lefty, Aroldis Chapman. A man with an ERA close to 2.00, a WHIP less than 1.00, and a strikeout rate of 16.35 K’s per 9 innings. No, thank you! The light at the end of the tunnel was hardly distinguishable.
To begin the bottom of the 9th, Alek Thomas put together a good at-bat but ultimately struck out—Arizona’s chances of winning following the punch out, 10.8%.
The crowd was awfully quiet until Ketel Marte stepped to the dish and did something nobody saw coming. On the first pitch he saw from Chapman, Ketel ripped a line drive into left field (105 MPH) and it soared over the outfield fence. Rangers 1 - Diamondbacks 1. Brand new ball game. The crowd was no longer quiet.
Neither team scored in the 10th, but the top of the 11th inning saw Arizona receive a mighty gut punch. With two outs and two men in scoring position, Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe got a fastball right down the middle of the plate and smoked into left field for a 2-run double. Rangers 3 - Diamondbacks 1. Arizona’s chances of winning, 19.6%.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the 11th, Arizona was all of a sudden down to their last out. Being down by two runs and only having one out to spare they were given a mere 4.3% chance of winning the game.
After burning Texas in the bottom of the 9th, Ketel Marte was intentionally walked. This brought up Geraldo Perdomo who doubled into the right-field corner. Things were suddenly a lot more interesting. Arizona was only down by one and they had two men in scoring position. Their chances of winning, 23.5%.
Despite the odds, you could just feel it coming. On a 2-1 count, Tommy Pham got a fastball that was the height of a tee and crushed it into center field. Marte scored, Perdomo scored, and the game was over. Celebrate good times, come on!
Tommy Pham delivers in the desert. #Walkoff pic.twitter.com/h4BczqNE51
— MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2023
Baseball is once again fun in Arizona, as this team has been defying the odds recently…