The Arizona Diamondbacks almost didn't make the postseason, squeaking by the slimmest of margins, making the postseason by virtue of having one more win than the Chicago Cubs. Thus, the Diamondbacks didn't exactly enter the postseason as a favorite to mount a deep playoff run. But then they took on the 92-win Milwaukee Brewers team in the NL Wild Card series and promptly swept them, setting up a matchup against the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers who continued their decade-long supremacy over the NL West.

Even then, the Dodgers' status as favorites appears to not have daunted the Diamondbacks for at least one bit. And it has shown in the way they've carried themselves in the 2023 NLDS. The Diamondbacks' pitchers have been on point, blanking the likes of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman in the first two games, putting the Dodgers on the brink of elimination in the process, and then their heavy-hitters have come to play, with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. driving in important runs for the team in Game 2.

Simply put, the Diamondbacks have embraced the mentality of being the underdogs, leaving it all on the line without any fear of falling short of expectations, of which there are not too many of them in Arizona.

“We’re playing with nothing to lose. Why would we play with anything to lose? We were the sixth seed. We weren’t supposed to beat Milwaukee. No one picked us to win there,” Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald said, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The Diamondbacks, according to FanDuel odds, were the second-least likely team to win the World Series before the playoffs began. Yet here they are, standing up to the mighty Dodgers and making the NL West champion cower. Making matters even more incredible is the fact that Paul Sewald and company won just five of the 13 matchups they had against LA last season.

“No one is going to pick us to beat the Dodgers when we haven’t played well against them. I think we’re going out there with a lot of confidence, not afraid to lose,” Sewald added.

Now, the Diamondbacks have a golden opportunity to close out the series at home on Wednesday night, sending the 100-win Dodgers into an early vacation.