D-backs win wild-card thriller
Arizona wins 11-8 over Colorado, advances to NLDS against Los Angeles
PHOENIX — Relief pitcher Archie Bradley hit a stunning two-run triple in the seventh inning, one of four threebaggers by Arizona that sent the Diamondbacks past the Colorado Rockies 11-8 in the National League wild-card game Wednesday night.
Paul Goldschmidt launched an early three-run homer and the Diamondbacks built a 6-0 lead before ace Zack Greinke faltered. Colorado climbed back into it and cut the lead to 8-7 when Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story hit consecutive homers in the eighth off Bradley, perhaps exhausted from hustling around the bases.
But then A.J. Pollock knocked in two runs with Arizona’s fourth triple, this one off closer Greg Holland, as the Diamondbacks scored three times in their half of the eighth to finally put a wild game away.
Arizona moves on to a best-of-five Division Series against the NL West champion Dodgers, a team the Diamondbacks beat the last six times they played.
Game 1 is Friday night in Los Angeles.
Sale to make playoff debut as Red Sox take on Astros
Houston manager A.J. Hinch loves that Justin Verlander, his starter for Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox today, has a ton of post-season experience.
Hinch, however, is still plenty concerned about Red Sox starter Chris Sale despite this being his playoff debut.
“I don’t think Sale is going to back down,” Hinch said. “I don’t think he’ll be spooked by not having experience.”
After eight years in the majors, Sale said that finally getting a chance to pitch in the post-season is “pretty fulfilling.” But he’s trying to control his emotions about the opportunity.
“It’s going to be hard not to, but try not to put too much emphasis on it,” he said. “Just try to treat this just like another game. You get a little amped up sometimes and that can kind of go crazy.”
The AL East champion Red Sox are in the playoffs for the second straight year. The West champion Astros return to the post-season for the second time in three years.
Verlander is a six-time all star who has appeared in the playoffs five times. He is 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 16 career post-season starts, but hasn’t been there since 2014.
“I definitely think there is some value in it . . . just more along the lines of knowing what to expect,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s going to help calming my nerves or give me an edge in that way, but knowing what I’m going to deal with, going into the start, how I’m going to feel during the start, how much more emphasis and stress is put on every single pitch, knowing those things I think helps prepare me better.”