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Diamondbacks post-season magic number: 15
[The Brewers have already lost today, but that dropped them one behind the Cardinals in the loss column, so for magic number purposes, the Cardinals have taken over. They will play in San Diego later tonight]
According to Elias, Arizona has not trailed at any point in the last 97 innings, tied for the second-longest streak by a Major League team in the modern era. The current streak is the longest in the past seventy years, going back to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. We need three to tie and four to surpass the current record of one hundred consecutive innings, belonging to the 1942 New York Yankees. If they can get through the entire game, they’ll set another, related record. The Diamondbacks have currently not trailed at any point in the last ten full games they have played, tying them for the longest streak in baseball history - done six times, most recently by the 1991 Mets.
A win would also give us our first winning season since 2011, and secure a franchise record 13th consecutive victory. We have currently matched the previous best of 12 in a row, set back in 2003, before there was even a SnakePit. It’s amusing that, this is still not the longest current streak in the majors, with the Cleveland Indians having won 13 times in a row. From what I’ve been able to see, today is only the second time in recorded baseball history we’ve had two simultaneous streaks of that length going on. Since early in 2003, only one NL team has reached that - the Braves won 14 straight in August 2014 (and late in their run, the Tigers reached 12 W’s).
But if we’re going to do it, we’ll again be without Paul Goldschmidt, out of the line-up for the fourth consecutive day. With an off-day tomorrow, it makes sense to let him have a solid period of rest to help his elbow recuperate. And, it’s not as if it has lost Arizona games. As discussed yesterday, I’m already emotionally prepared for the streak to end. Considering I’d have been happy to be 4-5 over these three series, a shot at 9-0 is FAR more than I could ever have hoped. Whatever happens here: series win in LA: check, and season series win over LA: check. But it sure would be nice to finish the regular schedule against the Dodgers with a double-sweep...