D-backs eliminated after Mets, Braves split doubleheader
Steve Gilbert
@SteveGilbertMLBPHOENIX -- They won five more games than the World Series team from last year, but 89 wins was not enough to get the D-backs back into the postseason.
Arizona was eliminated from postseason contention when the Mets and Braves split their doubleheader on Monday in Atlanta. The D-backs needed one of the two teams to sweep the doubleheader for Arizona to capture the third and final NL Wild Card spot, but the Braves won Game 2 after the Mets prevailed in Game 1.
While they finished the season with identical records to the Braves and Mets at 89-73, the D-backs lost the head-to-head tiebreakers with both teams.
"It sucks," D-backs first baseman Christian Walker said. "It flat-out sucks. You know, we fought really hard this year, some really good times, a lot of great memories in this clubhouse through the course of the season. But, yeah, it stings. Still processing, sorting through it. But, you know, I felt like this team would have done something really special. It just wasn't quite good enough."
It seemed like it would be good enough, though, just 10 days ago when the D-backs were in position for the No. 2 NL Wild Card spot and firmly in control of their own destiny. But that control disintegrated as they dropped five of their last seven to end the season.
That left them having to watch the Mets-Braves doubleheader with zero control over their fate.
D-backs players started showing up at the ballpark around midday, some sitting around in the clubhouse watching the games, while others took the field to get in a light workout.
The Mets-Braves game was displayed on the video board, and the families of players sat in the stands and watched.
Zac Gallen, who would have started Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series in Milwaukee on Tuesday, went out and played his usual day-before-starting game of catch. Even with the Mets trailing late in the game, he didn't want to risk being unprepared.
He wrapped up his session and was walking down the steps of the dugout as the Braves recorded the final out. He heard the television call over the stadium public address system, but he did not turn his head to watch, simply walking back up the tunnel and into the clubhouse.
"Just disappointment, really, no other way to sum it up," Gallen said. "I'm sure I could have more emotions for you probably in next couple days after I kind of digest it."
D-backs manager Torey Lovullo gathered his team in the clubhouse one final time after the Braves clinched.
"I thanked them for the effort they gave me, the trust that they placed in in my hands, and the coaches," Lovullo said. "We had a good year. We had a really good year, and I want to make sure that they understood that. And despite not making the playoffs, as frustrating as this last week was, we've got some growing and learning to do, but to remember that the sun will come up tomorrow and we're going to fight through this."
The D-backs knew they couldn't complain about the Mets not using their top pitchers or their entire regular lineup in the second game.
"No fault to the Mets," D-backs right-hander Merrill Kelly said. "Any team in that position is going to do the same thing right there. They're looking forward to tomorrow. They know they're in. They know they're not going to play their main guys, and they know they're not going to try to get hurt."
Instead, the D-backs were left looking back at all the games that they could have won this year that would not have left them in this position.
At the top of the list was the Sept. 22 game in Milwaukee when they led the Brewers, 8-0, before eventually losing, 10-9.