The Diamondbacks are surging to near historic levels of winning, taking 28 of their last 38 games, in franchise history. The Diamondbacks marks only the fourth time in they’ve won at least 28 games in a 38-game stretch, previously happening in 1999, 2002, and 2017. These are the best 38-game stretches in each of those seasons:
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!- August 15-September 28, 1999 (30-8)
- July 22-September 1, 2002 (28-10)
- May 21-June 28, 2017 (28-10)
- June 29-August 12, 2024 (28-10)
Following the Diamondbacks’ 5-4 comeback win over the Colorado Rockies, first baseman Josh Bell spoke to reporter Jody Jackson and analyst Mark Grace on the postgame coverage on Dbacks TV. He’s never been on a team that has been on the type of roll Arizona has been on since the end of June. He’s been to the postseason in each of the past two seasons, and depending on how the Diamondbacks finish could be a third straight.
“I know I’ve been on good teams, I’ve bad teams in the past. To be on this kind of streak where it’s a different person every night, a different way of winning the ball game. Tonight it was baserunning, sometimes it’s pitching, sometimes it’s the long ball, but it seems like we’re clawing and scratching, trying to find a way to win and we’re doing that.”
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo prophesized such a run earlier in the season, even while the team was struggling with injuries. At one point in the season they were down three of their intended starting five pitchers, their starting center fielder, their starting shortstop, and a couple of key bullpen arms that propelled them to success last season. They were struggling to stay afloat, with a losing record in their first 82 games of the season, but once they weathered the storm, they have gotten on a roll and not looked back.
Young players and veterans alike stepped up to fill the void. Players such as Kevin Newman, Jake McCarthy, Ryne Nelson, and Justin Martinez deserve much of the praise for not only keeping the team afloat but also playing key roles in their recent success once the team got healthier. Of recent note, the “Next Man Up” mentality has included newcomers such as Bell and rookie catcher Adrian Del Castillo. Even with injuries to key players in the lineup, losing Gabriel Moreno, Christian Walker, and Ketel Marte, the offense just keeps humming.
“We know we have something special here,” said Bell. “We know even if we go down early in games that it’s only a matter of time before we have the opportunity to come back and we got to do is capitalize.”
Much of their success has been their ability to win the close games. They are a major league-best 23-12 in one-run games. There’s never any sign of panic from the Diamondbacks, a sign of a team that has learned how to win and knows what it takes when one swing or pitch could decide the outcome.
What will define their season, or at least in terms of regular season success, is how long they can maintain this near-historic stretch of winning. The longer it goes, the more likely the Diamondbacks will host playoff games in 2024 as either the top Wild Card or pulling off an upset win in the National League West.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
