Friday, August 19, 2005
Perspective, Again
OK. She baked me a cake.
The Diamondbacks pounded the St. Louis Cardinals 9-2 Thursday night and once more moved to within 3 games of the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks had that rare trifecta of good starting pitching (Claudio Vargas, whose summer dominance is both wholly unexpected and totally appreciated), good relief pitching (3 innings with just one hit), and good offense (14 hits, including two homeruns from Gonzo). I'm ignoring those 5 double-play balls. Never happened.
So while I'm not ready to buy my playoff tickets yet (it was amusing to hear Jeff Munn talk about how Thursday night's game was the "last regular season game for the Diamondbacks here at Busch Stadium"), I guess the team has kept me interested at least through this weekend's series against the Reds, a series that the Diamondbacks have a much better shot of winning.
And, with just about a quarter of the season left to play, I thought it was worth taking a look at the remaining schedules for the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Dodgers. (Percentages are Pythagenport records as of this morning.)
Diamondbacks
3 @ Reds (.452)
4 vs. Mets (.545)
3 vs. Phillies (.516)
3 @ SD (.469)
3 vs. SF (.411)
3 @ Pittsburgh (.428)
3 @ Rockies (.383)
3 vs. Brewers (.488)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
3 vs. LA (.425)
3 vs. SD (.469)
3 @ LA (.425)
3 @ SF (.411)
Non-Divisional weighted record: .490
Padres
3 @ Atlanta (.552)
3 vs. Houston (.528)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
3 vs. D-Backs (.446)
4 @ Brewers (.488)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
3 @ LA (.425)
3 @ SF (.411)
3 vs. Nationals (.469)
4 @ Rockies (.383)
3 @ D-Backs (.446)
4 vs. SF (.411)
3 vs. LA (.425)
Non-Divisional weighted record: .475 (includes extra Rockies series, extra Rockies/SF games)
Dodgers
4 @ Florida (.523)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
3 vs. Houston (.528)
3 @ Cubs (.517)
3 @ Rockies (.383)
3 vs. SF (.411)
3 vs. SD (.469)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
4 @ SF (.411)
3 @ D-Backs (.446)
4 vs. Pittsburgh (.428)
3 vs. D-Backs (.446)
3 @ SD (.469)
Non-Divisional weighted record: .472 (includes extra Rockies series, extra SF game)
For what it's worth, then, the Diamondbacks have a slightly harder row to hoe from here on out. But the difference over 5 series is worth less than a win, almost minimal. And considering that each team has home-and-home series with each of its divisional rivals, it's less than minimal. While this weekend's Reds series is obviously important, it's the Padres series 10 days from now that I'm focusing on.
The Diamondbacks pounded the St. Louis Cardinals 9-2 Thursday night and once more moved to within 3 games of the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks had that rare trifecta of good starting pitching (Claudio Vargas, whose summer dominance is both wholly unexpected and totally appreciated), good relief pitching (3 innings with just one hit), and good offense (14 hits, including two homeruns from Gonzo). I'm ignoring those 5 double-play balls. Never happened.
So while I'm not ready to buy my playoff tickets yet (it was amusing to hear Jeff Munn talk about how Thursday night's game was the "last regular season game for the Diamondbacks here at Busch Stadium"), I guess the team has kept me interested at least through this weekend's series against the Reds, a series that the Diamondbacks have a much better shot of winning.
And, with just about a quarter of the season left to play, I thought it was worth taking a look at the remaining schedules for the Diamondbacks, Padres, and Dodgers. (Percentages are Pythagenport records as of this morning.)
Diamondbacks
3 @ Reds (.452)
4 vs. Mets (.545)
3 vs. Phillies (.516)
3 @ SD (.469)
3 vs. SF (.411)
3 @ Pittsburgh (.428)
3 @ Rockies (.383)
3 vs. Brewers (.488)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
3 vs. LA (.425)
3 vs. SD (.469)
3 @ LA (.425)
3 @ SF (.411)
Non-Divisional weighted record: .490
Padres
3 @ Atlanta (.552)
3 vs. Houston (.528)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
3 vs. D-Backs (.446)
4 @ Brewers (.488)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
3 @ LA (.425)
3 @ SF (.411)
3 vs. Nationals (.469)
4 @ Rockies (.383)
3 @ D-Backs (.446)
4 vs. SF (.411)
3 vs. LA (.425)
Non-Divisional weighted record: .475 (includes extra Rockies series, extra Rockies/SF games)
Dodgers
4 @ Florida (.523)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
3 vs. Houston (.528)
3 @ Cubs (.517)
3 @ Rockies (.383)
3 vs. SF (.411)
3 vs. SD (.469)
3 vs. Rockies (.383)
4 @ SF (.411)
3 @ D-Backs (.446)
4 vs. Pittsburgh (.428)
3 vs. D-Backs (.446)
3 @ SD (.469)
Non-Divisional weighted record: .472 (includes extra Rockies series, extra SF game)
For what it's worth, then, the Diamondbacks have a slightly harder row to hoe from here on out. But the difference over 5 series is worth less than a win, almost minimal. And considering that each team has home-and-home series with each of its divisional rivals, it's less than minimal. While this weekend's Reds series is obviously important, it's the Padres series 10 days from now that I'm focusing on.
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