Getting this up early for scoreboard watching purposes!
Yes, there may still be more than two and a half hours before the first pitch gets thrown at Chase Field by Brandon Pfaadt tonight. But on the other side of the country, an almost as important contest gets under way at 4:20 pm. That’s when the Atlanta Braves will kick off their three-game series against the New York Mets, with both teams hot in pursuit of a wild-card spot, along with the Diamondbacks. Going into play, the Mets are half a game back of us, and the Braves are a game and a half behind. While the D-backs still control their own fate, this series promises to be key in helping decide when – and let’s be honest, “if” is still also on the table – a post-season place is confirmed for Arizona.
I’m sure a lot of D-backs fans will be following that one, with the consensus likely being to cheer for the Mets. While a New York sweep could potentially push the D-backs down into the third wild-card spot, it could well lead to Arizona clinching a place and removing all doubt before the final series against San Diego. For the sake of our nerves, I think the trade-off between the second and third wild-card spot is not as great as the collective sigh of relief, if we guarantee a play-off spot on Wednesday or Thursday. Of course, weather permitting! As discussed in the Snake Bytes comments, a looming hurricane may well prove a factor in the Atlanta series. You couldn’t make this stuff up, folks!
And, later? Brandon Pfaadt. Let’s hope Arizona can take care of business, and get the magic number moving in the right way for the first time since Saturday.