Feisty Torey Lovullo Tired of Narrative D-backs Don't Belong

An emotional Torey Lovullo sat at the podium after a thrilling come from behind victory last night, ready to both thank the fans and also push back on some of the narrative floating around about whether or not his team belongs in the NLCS. The Diamondbacks had just won 6-5, erasing a 5-2 deficit with a run in the 7th and three more in the 8th. The comeback was punctuated by Alek Thomas' pinch hit two run blast to tie it up. In doing so they tied the series at 2-2. The day before they won 2-1 on a walk-off hit from Ketel Marte in the bottom of the ninth.

After they got boat raced in Philadelphia 10-0 in game two of the series to go down 2-0, few if any pundits gave the team a chance. Nobody saw this coming. They had been beaten with their two best pitchers starting Games 1 and 2, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly. They had to go with a rookie starter in Game 3 in Brandon Pfaadt, and a bullpen game using eight pitchers in Game 4. They won both games in dramatic fashion.

The fans showed up the last two games at Chase Field, as loud as they've been in years, and the manager felt it.

"To the fans of Arizona, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. To just make sure you understand what it feels like when you walk into this stadium and you guys are here and alive at 47,000-plus. It is so loud. It is helping us get through those emotional highs and lows, and you are carrying us through those times."

"So keep coming. We got one more here tomorrow, and we feel it. We don't necessarily have that during the year, but we want it, and we know that we've got to go out there and earn their trust back. And hopefully when we do things like this, the baseball world sees that the Arizona Diamondbacks are a damn good baseball team."

Lovullo was feeling feisty however. Perhaps tired of the incessant questions that at times seemed to question his team's very right to be there.

"I'm tired of that narrative that we're lucky to be here. I want everybody to know that we don't feel like it, and hopefully they're starting to change their mind as well."

At the end of the press conference Lovullo went a step further. Addressing some bulletin board material provided by the Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs who unwisely spoke these words “I’ve seen that pool before, so I know exactly where it is...“If we take two here against Arizona, we’ll be bee-lining it for the water.”

Lovullo did not mince HIS words.

"This team is extremely motivated. I know that guys are going to step on it, stand on it, find a way to get it done. I think they take things personal. They have a chip on their shoulder. I know their backup catcher made a statement about sprinting towards the pool or making a beeline to the pool. So I think they're wearing that a little bit and they're motivated by that externally, and they're motivated to be as good as they possibly can internally."

Still the narrative persists in the minds of some that the Diamondbacks don't belong. Here was a question posed to Phillies manager Rob Thomson after last night's game. Thomson is a class act and didn't take the bait, instead giving an answer respectful of his opponent. Some in the media, and fans on social media would do well to take the cue.

What is it about them that makes it so hard to just get rid of them?

"ROB THOMSON: They're scrappy. I said that at the start of the series. They're a good team. They can do a lot of different things. They can put pressure on you. You have to alleviate that pressure by throwing strikes, not giving them extra outs, and handling the baseball on defense."

Diamondbacks Rally to Beat Phillies 6-5, Tying NLCS at 2-2