ARLINGTON, Texas — Oh what a difference 24 hours can make.
Of course, if you're familiar with the Arizona Diamondbacks, you almost expected them to bounce back in Game 2 of the 2023 World Series against the Texas Rangers. After all, that's what these Snakes have done throughout the regular season and postseason.
Count them out when they hit a rough patch around the MLB trade deadline? Well, here they are in the Fall Classic.
Think they can't go back to Philadelphia and win a pair of games against the defending National League champions? Well, it's the Phillies that are sitting home and watching this competitive World Series unfold.
Arizona Diamondbacks loving being called the Answerbacks
Arizona fans have embraced the "Answerbacks" moniker that has gripped the team, and so have the players inside the Arizona clubhouse. That includes closer Paul Sewald, who gave up Corey Seager's game-tying ninth-inning home run on Friday night and insisted on Saturday that that game had already been flushed from his mind, as well as his teammates.
"I think it's just a good characterization of our team," Sewald said of the Answerbacks mentality. "We just are resilient, and that's why we get to go home and are guaranteed for this series to go at least five games."
While Arizona never needed a comeback in Saturday's convincing 9-1 win, this team is fueled by confidence in themselves and the chance to prove those who doubt them and their reign as NL champions wrong.
Evan Longoria enjoying introducing Arizona Diamondbacks to world
Granted, before the postseason, there may not have been many outside the state of Arizona who could have told you much about the Diamondbacks and their proficiency to create offense.
Sure, Corbin Carroll seems to have had a lock on the NL Rookie of the Year Award for some time and Zac Gallen flirted with the top of the Cy Young standings for a while, but the team as a whole might have been a mystery until the Diamondbacks established themselves by knocking off the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies in consecutive playoff series.
For a veteran like Evan Longoria, signed to a one-year, $4 million deal before the season began, watching people learn about Arizona's brand of baseball has been uplifting.
"Top to bottom game for our group. Everybody executed their game plan," said Longoria, who last played in the World Series as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008, of Saturday's effort. "It's what we've done all year. I know there are quite a few people in here (clubhouse) who haven't watched our brand of baseball all year, but this is what we've done. It's how we win games. I hope that was a good introduction to the group we've been."
Use solid pitching and defense to shut down the other team and get timely hits from players like Gabriel Moreno? That will absolutely play, as the Diamondbacks have proved this postseason.
Brandon Pfaadt ready for Game 3 start
When the World Series shifts to Phoenix on Monday night, it will be Max Scherzer taking the mound for Texas and Brandon Pfaadt for Arizona. Pfaadt, the rookie right-hander, has a 2.70 ERA across his four postseason starts, including allowing two runs while striking out seven in the NLCS Game 7 start in Philadelphia.
Now a different kind of pressure will be on Pfaadt than what he faced in an elimination game against the Phillies. He'll be up against the man known as Mad Max and looking to help his team gain a 2-1 edge in the Fall Classic and keep the homefield advantage. Sure, that sounds like a lot, but Pfaadt said on Saturday night he was ready to embrace the moment.
"I'm looking forward to it," Pfaadt said confidently about Game 3. "I got a routine for that and I'm going to stick to it leading up to Monday and I'll be ready to go."
And as for the photos from Game 7 that appeared to show him reading The Bible in the Diamondbacks dugout, Pfaadt said that that was actually the scouting report given to him for the Phillies.
While the Diamondbacks will certainly take any kind of divine intervention, they are also very confident in what they will bring to the field in front of their home fans in Game 3.
