A three-game sweep would have been nice, and it was there for the taking, but the Arizona Diamondbacks faltered midway through yesterday's 4-3 road loss to the San Diego Padres.
The D-Backs led 2-0 before starting pitcher Daniel Hudson imploded with two outs in the sixth and no one on. By the time the inning ended, the Pads had grabbed a 3-2 lead, and Old Mo (short for momentum) was theirs.
It all happened immediately after Arizona blew a golden opportunity to put the game away, but managed to score only one run after loading the bases with one out.
Such are the vagaries of sports.
But the D-Backs did win the series by a two to one margin, which allowed them to stay within striking distance (four game behind) of the NL West division-leading and defending world champion San Francisco Giants.
The Giants, by the way, surely strengthened themselves by acquiring the very smooth All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran from the New York Mets for the stretch run. Beltran has a lot left in the tank, and his addition won't hurt the Bay Area team's quest for two titles in a row.
Arizona is off to La-La Land for a weekend series against the beleaguered Dodgers.
First game is tonight at 7:05, with local telecasts on Channel 34 and KTAR620, respectively.
