Insider: “Hungry” D-backs Playing With A Purpose

At 9-3 entering their weekend series in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, the Arizona Diamondbacks are off to their best start in a decade and find themselves alone atop the National League West.

It’s a welcomed change for a team which has, in the past, severely struggled in the opening weeks of the season. 

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Hot, hot, hot. #DbacksWin #GenerationDbacks pic.twitter.com/bd6OXEAABx

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) April 11, 2018

“It’s really, really good for them to get that confidence early,” ESPN MLB Insider Pedro Gomez said to Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat in a phone interview Wednesday. “It’s tough for a young ball club to put up back-to-back seasons that are this impressive. Especially a club that has not accomplished anything in the post-season.”

Yes, Arizona did beat the Rockies in the National League Wildcard last fall but were swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS.

This spring the somewhat new-look D-backs refocused on picking up where they left off last fall, getting back to the basics and simply playing sound, fundamental baseball.

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When preparation meets execution. #StayReady #SlapHands #LoveThisTeam pic.twitter.com/E4DHlc6IjW

— Archie Bradley (@ArchieBradley7) April 10, 2018

“It’s a testament to the belief in that clubhouse,” Gomez explained to Cesmat.

Through the first two weeks of the regular season Arizona has the fourth-best record in baseball and have the third-lowest team ERA (2.72), as well as the fourth-most strikeouts (126).