So why is the Diamondbacks’ streak more dominating than a team who went to extra innings in Game 7 of the World Series last season?
The Indians come into action tonight sporting the second-best record in the American League (82-56). They have slingshot past Boston, and are quickly gaining on Houston (85-53) for home-field throughout the AL playoffs. The Indians also rattled off nine straight wins in late July, and have been out in front of the AL Central Division for much of the season.
Arizona has gained five games on the MLB-best Los Angeles Dodgers (92-46) in the past week, and are still 11.5 games back. The Indians magic number to clinch the AL Central is 14. The Dodgers magic number to clinch the NL West Division is 13...over the Diamondbacks. In fact, only two teams hold a winning record over the Dodgers this season...Washington (2-1), and Arizona (10-8).
Arizona has a 6.5 game grip over Colorado to host the NL Wild Card game. This would mark the first time that Arizona would be playing postseason baseball since 2011, and a great rebound from a 93-loss 2016 season.
The most impressive feat about the Diamondbacks’ streak is how dominant it has been. The Indians gave up four runs in the first inning last night against the lowly Chicago White Sox. Arizona has not trailed in a game in 98 consecutive innings. This makes them the first team since the 1991 New York Mets not to have trailed in 10 straight regular season games, and only the fourth since 1900 to accomplish the same feat.
The 98 innings is third-best in Major League history. Should Arizona be even or ahead against the Dodgers tonight into the third inning, they would equal the 1942 New York Yankees (101) for second, and the fourth inning to equal the “Moneyball” Oakland Athletics of 2002 for the all-time record (102).
The Dodgers have dropped 10 of their last 11, and five straight to Arizona. Their lead in the division likely will hold up, but I can guarantee that the last thing Los Angeles fans want to see is Arizona in a five-game series, should Arizona win the Wild Card game. The Diamondbacks are 9-6 against Colorado, and 3-4 against St. Louis and Milwaukee (currently 3 games back of Colorado for the second Wild Card spot).
So while Cleveland is in a division where only one other team is above .500 (Minnesota at 71-67), Arizona is rapidly gaining ground in a division where three teams will likely be going to the postseason.
Arizona is eighth in MLB in hitting (fourth in the NL), and third in pitching (behind only Cleveland and the Dodgers respectively). Both ESPN and CBS Sports have Los Angeles atop their power rankings, with Cleveland surging to #2. Arizona is seventh at ESPN, and fourth at CBS Sports.
When you talk hardware, the Indians have a potential MVP in Jose Ramirez, a Cy Young winner in Corey Kluber, and Manager of the Year in Terry Francona. Zach Grienke will finish distantly behind Clayton Kershaw in the Cy Young voting, and Paul Goldschmidt will get a few votes for NL MVP.
Luckily for Arizona, the All Star game would not determine home-field for the World Series, but they may still have to go on the road for a Game Seven if the end of this streak causes the gas tank to start running dry.
I don’t think Cleveland would lose back-to-back in Progressive Field with a championship on the line, regardless of whom it could be.
-JC24