Gameday Thread, #162: 10/3 vs. Rockies

Jeff Francis LHP, 5-7, 5.75

Ian Kennedy RHP, 15-11, 4.16

And now, the end is near... And so we face the final curtain... There's always something poignant about knowing this will be the last Gameday Thread of the season - a sadness we didn't have to face last year. In some ways, it's a season from which I'll be happy to move on. A win today would give us 82, the same record as 2008, the last time we attempted to repeat as division champs. Over-enhanced expectations, a start which made us think we were invulnerable and disappointment following thereafter. Of course, the parallels are imperfect, but somehow, ending with the exact same wins feels appropriate.

On the other hand, it's the end of Diamondbacks baseball, which has occupied far more of my time over the past six months than I care to admit. There'll be no shortage of things to do to fill the time, but it'll be a while before I'll stop myself, purely out of habit, switching over to FSAZ at 6:40pm or so. Life will be a little emptier without the daily routine of Gameday Threads and recaps, regardless of the result. But more on all that later. I suspect many D-backs fans will transfer some degree of loyalty to Oakland, because a) of the former D-backs connection, b) their success irritates Giants' fans.

But there's till one game to go. Here's today's line-up for the Diamondbacks:

1. Never mind the... CF
2. Our resident Cycle-path 2B
3. 2013 NL MVP RF
   Timmeh's master 1B
4. Sixty Million Dollar Man C
5. The Road Warrior 3B
   The Venezuelan Assassin LF
   Allstate SS
6. The Man Who Walks P