If they somehow win tomorrow (which might be difficult given the apparently massive HFA for the Brewers), we're never going to hear the end of the 2011 Diamondbacks' "grittiness" and "pluckiness" and "heart" - unless they go on to lose in the NLCS.

A. it's cool that 3 outta the 4 DS are going down to the last game, instead of the usual yawn fest where 3 out of the 4 ends quickly.

B. If the D backs beat the Yankees in the WS or something (and Ian Kennedy's pitching had a lot to do with it ) I think everyone's head will explode.

B. If the D backs beat the Yankees in the WS or something (and Ian Kennedy's pitching had a lot to do with it ) I think everyone's head will explode

Better still, if/when Jackson and Coke have something to do with putting the Yanks away tomorrow, and all 3 are in the WS (Kennedy, Coke and Jackson)

The Brewers are by far my favorite team left in the playoffs, but a Diamondbacks win means more Josh Collmenter. He's just so damn fun to watch.

The Brewers manager spoke to not relieving Wolf in the bottom of the 3rd but I don't agree with his reasoning.

It was also pretty evident that the D'backs were getting good hacks at Wolf. Given Narveson's similarities why bring him into the mix later in the game.

Kirk Gibson took some shots for his choices early in the series yet RR is getting a free pass for having Marcum and Wolf both let the games get away. Very strange.

I don't fault Ron for leaving Randy in for the first inning. That inning could have gone any number of directions. But the bottom of the third begged for Dillard to enter the game and hold the fort for a while. The guys just closed it to 5-3, plenty of time, you can't allow the gap to widen again.

It's pretty clear the Diamondbacks can handle anyone who cannot break 90 mph. Here's hoping Yovani shows up with his good hard stuff and then maybe this offense from the lower part of the lineup will be diminished so the Crew can just worry about Upton/Montero/Goldschmidt

Feh.

We really coulda used that game, with Phils/Cards going to five... plus we'll have to use Yo on Friday instead of setting him up for the LCS. And now, of course, there's no guarantee to even win the damn thing.

Wolf had nothing. NOTHING. He was throwing like a BP pitcher, and I'm half surprized the Dbacks didn't hit more taters.

It's pretty clear the Diamondbacks can handle anyone who cannot break 90 mph.

They've handled plenty of guys that throw over 90 too. In fact they have the second best Pitch Value against fastballs of any team in NL, second only to your Brewers. And they face guys who generally throw a little harder than the Brewers do. But as a team they are below average on sliders and especially weak on changeups. (This goes to what you said yesterday about their over aggressiveness)

They did beat Lincecum three times, Cain Twice, got Kershaw, Lee, and Hallday once each.

They can beat good pitchers. But if Gallardo paints the corners as well as he did last time, not many teams are going to beat him on such days.

shoe

I wasn't insulting the D'backs ability to hit good pitching. Just stating that a team was REALLY giving them free rein by bringing in someone who can't get it to the plate with some mustard.

I gotcha....

A friend of mine texted me stating he never likes soft tossing lefties in the post season and used TOm Glavine as his exampls. Really don't know why the brewers went with Wolf. Every guy on the D Backs has great numbers against him.

shoe

Agreed completely. Estrada would have been the better option but that meant RR being exposed to all kinds of second-guessing

It was great to see the Dbacks continuing to have quality at bats and tacking on runs as the game progressed. You just had the feeling, from the first inning on, that this was going to be a slugging contest and a war of attrition. A great pitching exhibition the game was not. And the Dbacks got arguably the biggest break in the game when Corey Hart's long fly ended up just a sac fly, and not a game tying grand slam.

Clean living and fast outfielders, my friends, clean living and fast outfielders.

By the way, small sample size and all that, but Parker will need to learn how to pitch with runners on, and especially with runners in scoring position, if he'll be successful in the majors. His AA splits (with bases empty vs. runners on/in scoring position) back that up. Gibson did a great move to pull him out of there as soon as he did; the last thing you want is seeing your rookie pitcher implode on the hill like Ziegler.

A friend of mine texted me stating he never likes soft tossing lefties in the post season and used TOm Glavine as his exampls.

Glavine wasn't bad in the postseason. He had a losing record (14-16), but his ERA was 3.30 (versus a regular season ERA of 3.31 from 1991-2006) and he won a World Series MVP Award.