The Arizona Diamondbacks are heading to the National League Championship Series. Wednesday night at Chase Field, the D-backs used a historic third inning to finish the three-game Division Series sweep of the NL West rival Los Angeles Dodgers (ARI 4, LAD 2). The Dodgers won 100 games during the regular season and zero in the postseason.
For the D-backs, this is their first trip to the NLCS since 2007, when they got swept by the Colorado Rockies. They will take on either the Atlanta Braves or Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS. The Phillies lead that best-of-five series 2-1, though the D-Backs will surely root for the Braves on Thursday. They want that series to go the full five games so their NLCS opponent gets worn out.
Here now are our takeaways from Arizona's Game 3 win over the Dodgers.
In the third inning the D-backs -- the D-backs! -- became the first team in baseball history to hit four home runs in a single postseason inning. Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, and Gabriel Moreno all took Lance Lynn deep. Walker and Moreno went back-to-back, and Moreno went deep one pitch after a near-homer that sliced just foul.
The D-Backs have hit four homers in an inning just once in the regular season in their history, according to ESPN, and their 13 homers are the second most ever through a team's first five postseason games. Only the 2020 New York Yankees hit more. They had 14 homers through five postseason games.. Here is the Game 3 dinger madness:
Moreno is becoming some kind of player. He always displayed tremendous bat-to-ball ability in the minors, but he hit a ton of ground balls. It sure looks like he's figuring out how to get the ball airborne consistently now. Wednesday's homer was his third of the postseason. Alas and alack, Moreno exited Game 3 with a right hand contusion after being hit by a foul tip.
Lynn allowed 44 home runs during the regular season, the most since Bronson Arroyo allowed 46 homers in 2011, and he allowed 20 homers in 66 2/3 innings with the Dodgers between the regular season and postseason. That's a 2.70 HR/9. They say solo homers can't beat you, but the people who say that must've never seen a pitcher given up four solo homers in one inning.
The Dodgers had rotation concerns coming into the postseason and the NLDS played out to the worst case scenario. Their starters -- Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, Lynn -- combined to allow 13 runs and get 14 outs in the three games. The offense didn't have a good series either, but gosh, it's hard to win when your starters do that.
Then again, what manager isn't aggressive with his bullpen in the postseason? Rookie Brandon Pfaadt faced the minimum through four innings in Game 3, but when Will Smith lifted a one-out double to left in the fifth, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo popped out of the dugout and called for lefty reliever Joe Mantiply. Pfaadt threw 42 pitches in 4 1/3 innings.
On one hand, Pfaadt falling two outs short of qualifying for the win -- a postseason win, at that -- despite being staked to a 4-0 lead is tough. Couldn't let the kid get two more outs, Torey? On the other hand, the D-backs had a chance to close out a sweep. The manager must do what gives the team the best chance to win at all times in October and Pfaadt had a 5.72 ERA during the regular season. Lovullo took the 4 1/3 scoreless innings and wouldn't push his luck any further.
Five D-backs relievers -- Mantiply, Ryan Thompson, Andrew Saalfrank, Kevin Ginkel, Paul Sewald -- held the Dodgers to two runs in 5 2/3 innings Wednesday. Things got a dicey in the seventh inning when Los Angeles brought the go-ahead run to the plate, but Saalfrank got Austin Barnes to ground out to end the threat. Pfaadt did his job and the bullpen did theirs. Lovullo's plan worked.
Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are, inarguably, two of the very best players in the game. They're both likely to finish in the top three of the NL MVP voting and deservedly so. That said, Betts and Freeman had a terrible NLDS. They combined to go 1 for 21 with three walks and four strikeouts in the three games, and the one hit was an infield single. Betts went hitless in the series.
In the eighth inning Kevin Ginkel issued a four-pitch leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Kolten Wong, giving Betts and Freeman a chance at redemption. They both batted representing the tying run ... and they both struck out. J.D. Martinez then flew out to strand Wong at first base. The Dodgers had the right guys at the plate at the right time and they didn't even put the ball in play. Rough.
A whole lot of Dodgers didn't perform in the NLDS -- they were outscored 19-6 in the three games -- but Betts and Freeman drive the offense, and when they don't contribute, Los Angeles has a tough time putting runs on the board. Credit the D-backs for shutting the two MVP candidates down. That's as much a reason for their sweep as pounding the Dodgers' starters in all three games.
This is Arizona's first trip to the NLCS since 2007 and only the third in franchise history (2001, 2007, 2023). The Dodgers, meanwhile, will now head home for the offseason. They have to figure out why their rotation crumbled and why they have been eliminated by 80-something win teams each of the last three postseasons. Let's call a spade a spade here. This was a really weak showing by Los Angeles. They did not hold a single lead in the three games.
Below is our running commentary and analysis throughout Game 3.
Sewald gets Enrique Hernández to fly out to end the NLDS. Arizona is going to the NLCS for the first time since 2007 and the Dodgers are going home. The D-Backs outscored their NL West rivals 19-6 in the three games and the Dodgers never once held a lead in the series. Los Angeles got outplayed every which way in these three games.
Incredible. What an upset.
That would've been a home run in 22 parks. Wow.
Oh man. Taylor hit that well to the 413 sign just to right of dead center. It's a loud out. The Dodgers are down to their final out.
Hope! Will Smith singles. Chris Taylor will bat as the tying run with one out.
Sewald strikes out Muncy. Two more to go.
Gotta give a shoutout to Saalfrank for his late arrival, too. The rookie only appeared in 10 games, but he's been used in high-leverage spots in several playoff games.
Arizona's bullpen was a liability much of the season, but the Sewald trade at the deadline and Thompson signing in August really got them on track. Sewald taking over as closer put others into roles better suited for their skills, and Thompson has been nails. The bullpen went from a liability to a strength late in the season.
Paul Sewald is coming in and needs three outs before allowing two runs in order to send the Diamondbacks to the NLCS for the first time since 2007. It'll be Max Muncy, Will Smith and Chris Taylor for the Dodgers.
Kolten Wong drew a leadoff walk and never moved. Betts and Freeman struck out, and J.D. Martinez flew out. Arizona will turn at least a two-run lead over to Paul Sewald in the ninth.
If you're the Dodgers with the season on the line, all you can is Mookie and Freddie getting a chance. And they've both been awful.
Freeman strikes out too. Betts and Freeman are 1 for 21 with an infield single in the NLDS.
Mookie strikes out. He is 0-for-NLDS.
Leadoff man aboard in the eighth against Ginkel. The Dodgers are one swing away from tying this thing.
Mookie Betts coming to the plate representing the tying run and Freddie Freeman is on deck. Those two are 1 for 19 with an infield single in the postseason. Now would be a great time to break out. D-backs still up 4-2 in the eighth.
Pinch-hitter Austin Barnes grounds out to end the threat. The good: Los Angeles scored two runs. The bad: they're still down 4-2 with six outs left.
Four straight singles with two outs. The Dodgers have some life, finally. They also have the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate.
The D-backs are still up 4-0. The Dodgers have three innings to score at least five runs to extend their season. They've scored four runs in the entire series so far.
Mookie and Freeman are a combined 1 for 18.
Their pitching was in disarray heading into the playoffs and everyone knew that. We talked plenty about it. The Clayton Kershaw meltdown in Game 1 set the tone for the series.
But.
The offense has now scored four runs in 23 2/3 innings this series.
The bases are left loaded. It's still 4-0 D-backs going to the fifth. The Dodgers have scored four runs the entire series.
The D-backs are calling Moreno's injury a contusion (i.e. bruise).
Two outs in the fifth. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has a chance to put this game to bed.
He took a foul tip to the hand last inning. Remember, Moreno left Game 2 of the Wild Card Series after taking a backswing to the head. He's a rough postseason physically but a very good one at the plate.
And his night is over with one out in the fifth. He was two outs short of qualifying for the win, which is unfortunately for Pfaadt, but I can't blame Torey Lovullo for going to his bullpen and a 4-0 lead. Shut this down and win the game, and punch your ticket to the NLCS.
Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, and Gabriel Moreno all took Lance Lynn deep. Walker and Moreno went back-to-back, and Moreno went deep one pitch after lifting a ball just foul down the right field line. The D-backs are the first team ever -- ever! -- to hit four home runs in an inning in a postseason game. Incredible.
Lynn allowed 44 home runs in 183 innings during the regular season, the most since Bronson Arroyo allowed 46 homers in 2011, and good gravy, his home run trouble was on full display there. They weren't cheap shots either. Well, maybe Perdomo's was, his barely got over the wall, but the others weren't. They were tattooed.
The four solo homers gave the D-backs a 4-0 lead. Lynn is out of the game. The Dodgers scored four runs total in Games 1 and 2. They have six innings to score at least five runs to keep their season alive.
Next pitch is definitely in the seats. Good gravy.
The umpires got together and ruled it a foul ball. Now it's under review with the call on the field being foul.
I will again make this point. I make it every freaking postseason. There are outfield umpires for the playoffs, but they stand like 10 feet off the infield. Why aren't they down closer to the warning track for foul ball/home run calls? That's the whole reason they are out there. It's ridiculous.
TBS broadcast just said there has never been four homers in a single postseason inning. We were robbed of history!
Call confirmed, foul ball.
