If it was not already clear, after the NLCS, it should not even be a debate: acquiring Paul Sewald was the move that saved the Diamondbacks season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Not too long ago, the Diamondbacks found themselves struggling with an 8-16 record in July, it seemed as though their once-promising season was careening off the tracks.
While their offense had potential, the D-backs’ bullpen was far too unreliable to envision them as playoff contenders.
Originally, Andrew Chafin was tasked with closing out games in the 9th inning for Arizona during the first half of the season.
However, a five-run outing by Chafin against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 24th, which resulted in a 10-6 loss for the Diamondbacks, and seemed like the dagger for Arizona’s playoff aspirations, ended up saving their season.
Just one week later, the D-backs’ front office took this blown save as a wake-up call.
They shifted from sellers to buyers at the trade deadline.
Fortunately, the Seattle Mariners, still in playoff contention themselves, were willing to part ways with Paul Sewald in exchange for a pair of utility players.
It changed everything.
Since this season-altering trade, Sewald has proven to be the indispensable glue in the Diamondbacks’ bullpen, holding their pitching staff together.
During this year’s postseason run, Sewald has been called upon to close out eight games, and he has yet to allow a single run to score.
Remarkably, seven of these games saw the D-backs holding a lead of three runs or fewer.
After Sewald closed the door on the Phillies in Game 7 of the NLCS, the now household name in Arizona made sure to let everybody know that he has been keeping receipts.
Just like Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has been saying all postseason long.
As Sewald described it, he took the naysayers’ doubts to heart, and now he’s on the path to the World Series
Receipt Season 🧾😎 pic.twitter.com/Q4cz49wIl4
— Paul Sewald (@ItsPaulSewald) October 25, 2023
