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Diamondbacks line-up
- Adam Eaton, CF
- Aaron Hill, 2B
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Eric Chavez, 3B
- Martin Prado, LF
- Miguel Montero, C
- Gerardo Parra, RF
- Didi Gregorius, SS
- Brandon McCarthy, P
At the beginning of 2013, it seemed the Rockies were like the party guest that wouldn't leave. It wasn't enough to have to share a spring training facility with them, we also faced Colorado ten times in the first 47 games, once the regular-season started. At the end of that time, there was a three-way tie for first at the top of the NL West, between ourselves, the Rockies and the Giants, and it looked like K**th L*w's prediction for a Rockies' record of 53-109 was woefully inaccurate. Well, actually, it still is, currently on pace to be off by more than 20 games, but I'm pretty sure all three of those teams look back on the May 22 threesome with nostalgic fondness, given what has happened since.
Since then, we've only seen them once, a three-game series just after Independence Day which was perhaps our most impressive of the season. We swept the Rockies (as above), by a combined margin of 22-2, and ended it 4.5 games up in first-place - so, all told, pretty much the high-point of 2013. Rather a lot has happened since them for both teams, not much of it good, but they find themselves ending the year pretty much as they begun it, facing each other for about 35% of the time, the rest of the way. I'm particularly looking forward to the road-trip through Denver and San Diego, which will just about define "meaningless end-of-season match-ups." For a whole week.
Does that sound jaded? I certainly hope so, because it would be an accurate reflection of my current mental state. I know a lot of the writers are finding it more of a chore than pleasure to write about the team at this point in the season, and only regularly-administered beatings are keeping the schedule of posts up to date [except for 'charmer, who is in the process of fleeing the continent entirely, to escape the dog-end of the Diamondbacks season]. You could discuss the Kubler-Ross "five stages of grief," but I prefer the Kubel-Ross "six stages of sports grief," which also includes a final section, that of apathy.
Still, tonight's game, we'll be looking to see if Brandon McCarthy can maintain his strong series of recent starts, which would give us something to hold on to over the winter. I also quite like the line-up, which could well be close to what we see on Opening Day next season. Will that be enough to end the streak of games where the offense has run out of innings before we've run out of fingers on one hand? Might there be free tacos tomorrow? Not that I've ever eaten them, of course. Now the 50% off pizza, on the other hand... So, go D-backs. Or don't. Whatever. It's up to you. :)