The Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 in Game 3 of the NLDS Wednesday night, completing a three-game sweep over their NL West rivals. The Dodgers were heavily favored in the series and were widely considered World Series contenders, but the team appeared overmatched by Arizona in all three games.
“I think it’s an understatement to say we were counted out, especially in this series, for sure,” Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen told reporters Wednesday. “And obviously, it’s no secret we’ve had our battles with them, our struggles. But yeah, this one tastes a little bit sweeter, for sure. Especially since I heard some comments that this is just gonna be a home game for them.”
After two victories on the road to begin the series, the Diamondbacks completed their sweep Wednesday at Chase Field in Phoenix in front of a sold-out crowd of 48,159. Arizona scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning, knocking Dodgers starter Lance Lynn out of the game. The team didn’t score again, but the Diamondbacks’ bullpen allowed just two runs in nearly six innings of work and propelled the team to a two-run win.
Solid pitching and timely hitting were key for Arizona all series, as the team never trailed in any of the three games. In Game 1, Diamondbacks hitters teed off against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, scoring six runs in the first and knocking him out of the game. They tacked one another three in the second and cruised to an 11-2 victory.
The Diamondbacks jumped on the Dodgers again in Game 2, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Gallen held us his end on the mound, allowing just two runs to Los Angeles in 5.2 innings and leading the team to its first of two 4-2 wins in the series.
With the Dodgers now out of the way, the sixth-seeded Diamondbacks still have a long way to go. They will likely be underdogs in the NLCS, and if they advance to the World Series, they will face either the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros, two teams with highly powerful offenses and exceptional pitching.
Arizona’s NLCS opponent is the last of the final four teams to be determined, as the Phillies currently hold a 2-1 series lead over the Braves in their NLDS matchup. If Philadelphia defeats Atlanta for the second straight year, the NLCS will be played between the fourth- and sixth-seeded teams in the bracket. Only one underdog can advance from there.
