Game #52 Preview: 6/3, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta Braves

Mike Foltynewicz RHP, 3-2, 3.96

Rubby De La Rosa RHP, 4-2, 4.50

Jace Peterson - 2B	Ender Inciarte - RF
Cameron Maybin - CF	A.J. Pollock - CF
Freddie Freeman - 1B	Paul Goldschmidt - 1B
Nick Markakis - RF	Yasmany Tomas - 3B
Chris Johnson - 3B	David Peralta - LF
Andrelton Simmons - SS	Chris Owings - 2B
Todd Cunningham - LF	Jarrod Saltalamacchia - C
Christian Bethancourt - C	Cliff Pennington - SS
Mike Foltynewicz - RHP	Rubby De La Rosa - RHP

It's a good thing we won last night's contest, because you really should prevail when the opposition hands you out that many free passes. Since the beginning of 2011, there have been 19 National League teams who have been walked 10 times or more in a regulation game: those teams went 18-1 in those contests, with the only loss belonging to the Giants in May 2012, who managed to lose 5-4 to the Rockies, largely because they went 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position that day. The time before that was August 2012 and belonged to us, Arizona losing to Milwaukee by an 8-4 margin. Up until Pollock's blast, we were on track to do it again.

The other landmark was ending a lengthy streak by the D-backs, of failing to win a game where we were trailing after six innings. However, I think I'm probably not the only person who feels that last night seemed less like a come from behind victory, than a case of the Diamondbacks rescuing a badly-blown lead. That five-run sixth for the Braves was like a nightmare, and not one of those interesting ones, where you wake up wondering if you can buy the film rights. There were two outs and a man on first, but it then took six attempts by three different pitchers, costing us 68% of win probability before we got the final out. Yeah, bullet dodged. Thank you, A.J.

So we find ourselves with a chance to take the final game, and with it the series, which is something we should really be doing. As soco noted earlier in the week, it's one thing to have a .500 record on the road, where the Diamondbacks are currently 12-13. But our 12-14 record at Chase Field isn't going to get us anywhere. Only one team in baseball history has made the post-season without a winning record at home: coincidentally, the Braves, who went 40-41 at Turner Field in 2001. You may recall though, they didn't do too well in the post-season, losing to some team or other in five, including all three games in Atlanta by a 24-6 margin. Yeah, home advantage matters.