D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo reveals his plans after sweeping Dodgers and advancing to NLCS for the first time since 2007: "I'm gonna go on a bender"
After cruising past the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS showdown, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo can breathe a sigh of relief. The D-backs took down the NL West leader and swept them 3-0 in the best of the five series. Moreover, Lovullo led the D-backs to the NLCS round for the first time since 2007.
They defeated the Dodgers 4-2 at Chase Field and the crowd was right behind the home team in their celebration. Post-victory, Lovullo interacted with the MLB Network and shared what he wanted to do to celebrate:
"Here, we are standing on Chase Field and there's been so much hard work gone into this, "Lovullo said. "I am so grateful to be part of this organization, and to celebrate with this group, I could not be more thrilled. I think I am gonna go on a bender. I might disappear for 24 hours, I'm gonna go underground for a little while."
The manager seemed very excited after the victory and was grateful to the organization for believing in him and his team. Arizona last appeared in the NLCS round in 2007 where they were swept by the Colorado Rockies. However, they won the World Series in 2001 against the New York Yankees and would like to make another run at it in 2023.
Torey Lovullo's coaching career
The D-backs manager's off-field stint started with the Cleveland organization in 2001 as a minor league infield coach. Fast forward to 2010, John Farrell, who was the Toronto Blue Jays coach, hired Lovullo as the club's first base coach. After serving two years in that position, he followed Farrell to the Boston Red Sox where he served as a bench coach in 2012.
His first shot at the managerial position came when Farrell was diagnosed with Stage 1 lymphoma leaving Lovullo in charge of the team. The Red Sox saw significant improvement under him after he led the team with a .636 winning percentage while at the helm.
Prior to the 2017 season, Mike Hazen recruited Torey Lovullo for the manager position with the Diamondbacks. Lovullo was signed to a one-year deal on June 4, 2023, after the Diamondbacks started the season with a 35-24 record.
Overall, as a manager with the D-backs, Torey Lovullo has won 495 games in 1,032 games with a winning percentage of .480. He is 6-3 in the playoffs and would like to make a deep run in the 2023 season.