The Loop

Yes, there are two paths you can go by

The Loop that circles Phoenix — Arizona State Route 101, technically — only forms a loop with the help of Interstate 10.

At its southwest corner, the 101 yields to the transcontinental highway, which covers Phoenix’s southern perimeter. Driving along the west side of the Valley, southbound motorists are presented with two options as they approach: Phoenix to the east or Los Angeles to the west.

We all make choices.

With domestic Opening Day less than two weeks away, that sign seemed more than just directional. Merging onto the 10 West after a weekend in the Cactus League, I began thinking about what it would take for the Diamondbacks to overtake the Dodgers in the division — and if it even mattered. Only two seasons ago, the Wild Card D-backs took out the division-winning and bye-receiving Dodgers in the NLDS. Winning the division in this era is more luxury than necessity. Qualifying for the postseason is enough.

I was at Salt River Fields on Saturday with my son to watch the Diamondbacks host the White Sox. It was the right day to buy into the D-backs. Corbin Burnes, who joined Arizona on a $210 million, six-year deal this winter, got the start. He is a difference maker — a Cy Young winner and still a Cy Young candidate.

Paired with Zac Gallen atop the Arizona rotation, the Snakes can match up with anyone in a short series. There’s depth to the pitching staff, too, with multiple pitchers beyond just the five-man rotation capable of providing quality on any given day. The back of their pen can finish the job, too.

This is a very good team with pedigree. This is a playoff team. The everyday lineup is solid top to bottom. It’s only March, I know, but this D-backs team isn’t a comfortable matchup for anyone in the playoffs.

When you come to a fork in the road, the sign says LA to the west and Phoenix to the east. In October, we can take it.

How Can I Put This?

Across the diamond, the White Sox featured a starting lineup with five retread minor league free agents, a prospect acquired in the Garrett Crochet trade with Boston, a low-stakes Major League free agent, one homegrown middle infielder with 33 big league games to his record, and the unfortunate Miguel Vargas, who was traded from the Dodgers to the South Side last July.

Opposing Burnes on the mound was Sean Burke, who was selected by the White Sox in the third round of the 2021 Draft out of the University of Maryland. He made three solid starts last September and, a few days ago, was told he had earned a spot in Chicago’s starting rotation.

Well, on Sunday, as I was driving through Yuma, White Sox manager Will Venable named Burke his Opening Day starter.

The team lost 121 games last year. A lot has to go wrong to suffer the ignominy — a word that entered my vocabulary after reading too many articles about last year’s White Sox — of breaking the record for most losses in a single season. Such circumstances also present numerous opportunities.

Burke has thrown 19 innings in his Major League career. See, we didn’t have to wait long to cash in one of those opportunities. The 25-year-old native of Worcester, Massachusetts, will break a White Sox record that was established in 1903 when Patsy Flaherty got the Opening Day nod after only 61 career innings pitched. (Flaherty threw 293.2 IP in ’03 and led MLB that year with 25 losses.)

Back in the 21st century, Burke worked out of trouble in the first inning. It seemed like it was going to be a long afternoon for him, but he coaxed Eugenio Suarez into a double play and recovered nicely. The good news about a laborious first inning was that Burke showed all four of his pitches. I can’t say I was in full scout mode, but as I was flagging down the cotton candy vendor, I saw Burke use both a curveball and slider effectively. I got a decent look at the changeup, too, on my way to get popcorn. The Dad-Scout has no free hands for a radar gun or stopwatch, but he can multitask enough to see that Burke has an easy delivery and pitched between 92-97 with his fastball.

The Angels/White Sox game will be one of many I watch closely on March 27.

Is There A Numerologist In The House?

My son and I went to three games in two days while in Phoenix. The final score of each game: 9-8. I don’t know what that means for me or the upcoming season, but I welcome your thoughts and insights.