Torey Lovullo on his team defying the odds in NLCS Game 7: “We feel like we deserve to be in the Big Dance"
Anyone who claims they expected manager Torey Lovullo's Arizona Diamondbacks to make it to within a game of the World Series is probably lying. However, that's exactly where the team now stands.
After pulling even with a decisive Game 6 victory, the Arizona Diamondbacks now face the prospect of heading to their first World Series since 2001. All that stands in their way are Bryce Harper, the Phillies, and 40,000+ jacked-up Philly fans.
"Wow. Cannot believe Diamondbacks rookie pitcher Brandon Pfaadt had this to say about the city of Philadelphia before he starts game 7 tonight… What a wild, TOTALLY real quote that should fire everyone up for the game tonight" - Josh Reynolds
For Torey Lovullo, convincing the wider baseball world that his team is for real has not been an easy task. With a record of 84-78, the D-Backs were tied with the Miami Marlins for having the worst record in the NL playoff bracket.
Despite this, the Snakes were unphased. After plowing over the Brewers in the NL Wild Card Series, the D-Backs lit up Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 of the NLDS and went on to sweep the 100-win Los Angeles Dodgers.
Still, questions about the legitimacy of Torey Lovullo's team persist. Largely seen as a team of idealistic rookies, the D-Backs' payroll ranks 23rd in terms of size out of 30 MLB teams.
In response to the sentiment that the Arizona Diamondbacks are out of their depth, Lovullo defended his team and the excellent postseason that they have treated their fans to. Despite only hitting .240 as a team this postseason, the Diamondbacks are closer to appearing in a World Series than they have been in a generation.
"To criticism about their 84 win regular season, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said: “We feel like we deserve to be in the Big Dance.”" - Jon Heyman
According to MLB analyst Jon Heyman, Lovullo said, "we feel like we deserve to be in the Big Dance," referencing the grand stage of both the NLCS as well as, potentially, the World Series.
Win or lose, Torey Lovullo has every reason to be proud of his team
Merely two years ago, the 52-win D-Backs posted one of the worst records in MLB. Now, after having developed and traded for the right mix of names, the Snakes are proving that they need to be taken seriously.
Seen as all but eliminated after the first two games of the NLCS, Arizona has battled back. While Game 7 will not be easy, Lovullo's team exceeded any and all expectations in 2023.