The Arizona Diamondbacks took three out of four against the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend. The two teams played in the National League Championship Series last season and the Diamondbacks came out on top. Phillies star Bryce Harper was impressed with what he saw on the field once again this weekend.
“They ain't scared,” Harper told Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “They go about it the right way, they play the game hard. They've got guys that walk, guys that hit, good pitching, good bullpen. They're a good team. They're gonna show up and play the game the right way and they're gonna win a lot of games because of that.”
The Diamondbacks have closed the gap in the National League West with a phenomenal stretch. They are 15-3 in their last 18 games, the best in all of baseball. They are three-and-a-half games behind the Dodgers in the National League West and four games ahead of the Braves for the final Wild Card spot.
The Phillies must take some tips from their leader and how he spoke about the Diamondbacks. In that same stretch, the Phillies have a 6-12 record, just a half-game ahead of the Pirates for the worst record in the National League. Their torrid start has almost guaranteed the Phillies a playoff position but they must improve on their current form.
Diamondbacks' chances at repeating as NL Champions
The Arizona Diamondbacks were the surprise team of the 2023 baseball season. They went from winning just 84 games in the regular season to beating the Phillies on the road in Game Seven of the NLCS. After losing the World Series to the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic, they came in as a significant underdog in their division.
The Los Angeles Dodgers added Shohei Ohtani to their already-stacked team. They were supposed to run away with the NL West once again. This recent stretch from the Diamondbacks and Padres has put the division in question for the first time since 2021. If they can ride their recent hot stretch into October, they can make another run at the pennant.
Arizona's success has been partially thanks to second baseman Ketel Marte. He leads the team in WAR and home runs, already hitting the thirty mark. They got some good news after Sunday's game against the Phillies that his injury was just a left ankle contusion. He says that he will be able to return to the lineup on Monday.
With the Diamondbacks surging, the Phillies and Dodgers are not the no-doubt matchup in the National League Championship Series this season. Whichever one draws the Diamondbacks in the division series is up for a tough matchup once again.
Bryce Harper is complimenting the Diamondbacks when he makes those comments after the game. Perhaps more importantly, he is also calling out his team. The Phillies must turn it back around to return to the World Series. While the Dodgers get the superteam attention, the Phillies have put together an All-Star squad as well. With a pitching rotation as strong as theirs, anything short of a championship is a disappointment in Philadelphia.
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