Take that, "experts"!!! Hardly anybody picked us to win, let alone predict we would sweep. I think it even surprised a lot of us. Was it our good pitching and defense that kept the Cubs' offense in hibernation, or did they just suck? It better be the former, because we are definitely going to need our pitching when we face the rockin' Rockies. This will be the first time two teams from the NL West will meet in the NLCS.
But more on that later. Now it's all about the Dbacks, baby! The Republic recap talks about the celebration, including noting that they celebrated with goggles this time (Juan Cruz's idea). A true sign of an inexperienced team learning their way through the playoffs! ;) The AP recap is more of a recap on the series but has some game action at the end. And it's hard to tell which of the many articles on MLB.com is supposed to be the recap! I think it's this one, and this one is a lot better than the other two recaps.
There's some good stuff today. Eric Byrnes' hustle paid off last night with his would've-been double play ball. Livan Hernandez doesn't feel pressure, not even in big games or big situations such as last night. Dbacks defy critics and stage a celebration in Stunned-town. (The Republic's notes feature the same topics: Wrigley was raucous in the 5th, the pitchers have been great, and Byrnes' hustle helped his series.) Jayson Stark of ESPN has a pretty good article on the Dbacks and how they defy "logic" and yet are a really great team. (Well, of course!)
People are finally taking note of the NL West. Both teams made it work with young players ahead of their time, and this is a sign of things to come. We face a familiar foe in the NLCS (breakdown for those who aren't familiar with the team) later this week. For now, let's rest up and be ready!