A Great Day for Baseball; Let's Play One and a Half!

The Arizona Diamondbacks had taken the first two games of a three-game series with the New York Mets. Going into the final game they had an opportunity to sweep the Mets. I had to repeat that to myself several times in order for it to sink in.

The D-backs have not had a three-game sweep at Chase Field since August 28-30, 2009 against the Houston Astros. That fact alone would send many die-hard Diamondbacks fans back to bed with a severe case of depression.

Entering the stadium tonight I immediately looked up at the line-up board to see who would be playing. There were four starters not in the line-up: Adam LaRoche, Kelly Johnson, Stephen Drew, and Gerardo Parra. Not exactly encouraging for a team that has struggled to put together a sustained winning streak.

Dan Haren was on the mound, so that was a good sign, but then again, Haren has not won a game since June 12.

In what has become a somewhat concerning trend, Haren was again tagged by two home runs bringing his season total to 23 which lead the team. To put this total into perspective, Haren has pitched in 21 games meaning he is averaging over one home run per game.

In 31 games last year Haren gave up 27, so his total is on the upswing. The second home run, a solo shot by former Diamondbacks catcher Rod Barajas tied the game in the sixth inning and came with two outs.

That home run had a huge impact. Not only did it bring the Mets back into the game, but set the stage for a very long night. The game remained tied in the ninth despite the Diamondbacks having several scoring opportunities.

With the teams locked at three apiece, the game entered extra innings. It remained scoreless until the 14th inning when Justin Upton led off with a single and ended with pinch hitter Chris Snyder hitting a game winning single to the gap in left-center.

The announced crowd of 18,223 was substantially smaller after a game time of 4:45. Those that stayed were treated to perhaps the best game the Diamondbacks played this season.

It had a little something for everyone. There were home runs, dramatic fly balls, close plays on the base paths, outfield assists, and (in a rarity for the Diamondbacks) eight innings of scoreless baseball from the bullpen, ending with a well deserved win.

There are many positives to take from this game. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a sustained run of success for the Diamondbacks for the rest of the season.