I get it.  It's still way too early to try and predict whether or not the Arizona Diamondbacks have what it takes to repeat as the National League Champions and return to the World Series.  With that being said, this is absolutely not what you expect from a team with higher standards and is healthy in the bullpen.  
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​In the first game on Friday, the Arizona Diamondbacks went into the bottom of the 8th inning against the Atlanta Braves with a 5-2 lead.  The Braves would add a run on a RBI double to right field by Acuna Jr., scoring Arcia.  Then, with a two-run lead in the bottom of the 9th, the Diamondbacks allowed an RBI double to left field by Olsen, scoring Riley.  And a Kelonic double, scoring Olsen and tying the game at 5-5, sending it to extra innings.  
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​The Diamondbacks would fail to get their runner in from second in the top of the 10th, and the Braves would score the winning run on a single to left field by d'Arnaud, scoring Wall.  But these things happen.  Sometimes luck just favors the home team. So you write it off as a loss in the first game of the three game series. 
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​In the second game, however, the Diamondbacks would come out firing, scoring six runs in the first inning off of Max Fried.  They would put up 8 total runs off of Fried in just 4.1 innings pitched.  Arizona would enter the bottom of the 5th inning with an 8-2 lead.  But then.... here comes that home field luck we talked about.
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​The Braves would put up three more runs in the bottom of the 5th, on a 3-run homer by Ozuna, narrowing the Diamondbacks lead to 8-5.  Atlanta would strike again in both the bottom of the 7th and 8th with a pair of two-run innings, making the final score of the game, 9-8, Braves win. 
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​Surely, the Diamondbacks would not be swept.  These are the defending National League Champions.  In order to not be swept, however, they needed to take down a healthy Chris Sale for the Braves.  This was easier said than done.  As in the previous games where the Diamondbacks actually got out early on the Braves starters, Arizona failed to ignite any fireworks early.  They would tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the 4th on a "disengagement violation" and a Walker RBI single.  
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​But the Braves would retake the lead again in the bottom of the 4th on a Harris II homer to right field (409 feet).  The Braves would add two more insurance runs in the bottom of the 8th on two-run shot to center by Riley (446 feet).  The final score would be 5-2, Braves win and sweep the Arizona Diamondbacks in the three-game series.  
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​Overall, this was the battle of the bullpens with Atlanta flexing their muscles over the Diamondbacks.  The Diamondbacks bullpen pitched a total of 9.1 innings, allowing 7 earned runs.  The Braves bullpen pitched 14.1 innings, and allowed ZERO earned runs. 
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​The Diamondbacks continue their road trip tonight in Colorado, hoping to bounce back from the early season sweep.  The downside is that a road game in Colorado usually doesn't equal low-scoring games.  Let's hope the Diamondbacks are more on the offensive side of the news for tomorrow's headlines.  

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