I endured four summers in Phoenix, so forgive me if I choose not to compare the Diamondbacks’ second-half performance to the scorching Sonoran summer.
At an MLB-leading 26-8 since the All-Star Break, though, Arizona is no oasis for opponents. Look below! The hottest team in baseball has cracked the big board.
The D-backs begin a three-game series today against the Mets, a team on the outside of the playoff picture and a full seven games behind their midweek hosts. A return to October looks like a certainty for the defending NL champs, but their division rivals aren’t impressed. The Padres are only one game off the Snakes’ second-half pace at 25-9, while the inevitable Dodgers have maintained their lead in the NL West, going 22-12 since the Midsummer Classic.
With the recent returns of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, the Los Angeles lineup more and more resembles what we penciled in back in March.