In a stunning turn of events, the Arizona Diamondbacks secured their place in the 2023 World Series by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series. This victory, marking their ninth win of the postseason, catapulted the Diamondbacks into one of the most improbable World Series appearances in baseball history.
Corbin Carroll, who had been in a slump, emerged as the hero, collecting three hits and two RBIs. He played a pivotal role in propelling the Diamondbacks to the World Series, despite facing two-games-to-none and three-games-to-two deficits in the NLCS. The Diamondbacks are now set to face the American League champion Texas Rangers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, with Arizona pursuing its second championship and Texas aiming for its first.
Diamondbacks’ general manager Mike Hazen commented on their remarkable journey, saying, “We just have a tremendous group of players that work really hard. We’ve got some more work left to do. We’re going to go down to Texas and see what we can do there, too.”
Ketel Marte was named the NLCS MVP, boasting an impressive .387 batting average (12-for-31) and extending his postseason hitting streak to 16 games, tied for the fourth-longest streak in playoff history.
For the Phillies, a team with five players on $100 million contracts, it was a bittersweet outcome, as they fell just one win short of securing their second consecutive NL pennant. Philadelphia reached the World Series as the sixth seed in the Senior Circuit last year, mirroring Arizona’s Cinderella story this season.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson expressed his disappointment, stating, “It is disappointing. It’s tough to get back to this position two years in a row. It is. But (our players) fought like hell to get here, and we came up short. That’s baseball sometimes.”
Arizona’s journey to the World Series is all the more remarkable considering their regular-season record of 84-78. They overcame adversity and defied the odds, making them one of the most unlikely Fall Classic participants in a full season. Only the 1973 New York Mets (82-79) and the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals (83-78) had a worse regular-season record.
Torey Lovullo, the seventh-year Diamondbacks manager, reflected on the challenging path to success, saying, “Trust me when I say there were some real hardships — there were some very dark days in my career. So for me to sit here and tell you that I wouldn’t trade that in — if you told me that I would be coming out the other side of it like this, I would understand why I was having to go through that.”
The Diamondbacks faced a turbulent period from early July to mid-August, winning just nine games. However, they embarked on a resurgent run, going 25-18 after August 14, clinching a playoff berth on the second-to-last day of the season, and eventually reaching the World Series.
Carroll, who struggled with a .130 batting average in the NLCS, exemplified the ups and downs of baseball. His performance shifted dramatically from being the hottest hitter on the planet six games ago to struggling during the NLCS. Carroll credited his mindset and believed that performance evens out over time.
The Phillies managed to stay in the game, but their potent offense went cold at the most inopportune moment. Despite having a roster loaded with high-value contracts, they scored just 15 runs in the final five games.
The Diamondbacks secured the victory, taking the lead in the fifth inning with an RBI single from Carroll. Their strong bullpen held off the Phillies, and Kevin Ginkel delivered an outstanding performance, striking out the side in the eighth inning. Paul Sewald sealed the win with a save in the ninth, triggering jubilant celebrations among the Diamondbacks.
Corbin Carroll encapsulated the moment, saying, “To be able to finally put it away and run towards that dog pile — man, just a hell of a feeling.”
