PHOENIX — A funny thing happened along the way to a Philadelphia Phillies repeat as pennant winners: The Arizona Diamondbacks decided to make a series of their best-of-seven matchup with the defending NL champs.
On Friday, the self-anointed «Answerbacks» tied the NLCS at 2-2 with a thrilling 6-5 win, one night after they beat Philadelphia 2-1 in a walk-off.
A team dismissed as a year ahead of schedule, with a home crowd that was never supposed to be able to match the chaos at Citizens Bank Park, has turned the narrative upside down by winning Games 3 and 4 at Chase Field, stunning the veteran-laden Phillies in the process.
Arizona is no longer here for pundits' fodder. «I'm tired of that narrative that we're lucky to be here,» manager Torey Lovullo said after their latest win. «I want everybody to know that we don't feel like it, and hopefully they're starting to change their mind as well.» How many come-from-behind wins does it take to believe?