I pride myself on being a reasonably grounded analyst. I do the homework. I run the numbers. I check the matchups twice, sometimes three times if there’s coffee involved.
And still — still — none of that prepared me for what the Arizona Diamondbacks just did to the Washington Senators.
A sweep was not outside the realm of possibility.
But this sweep?
This was something else entirely.
Let’s break down what happened and why my prediction now exists somewhere between “optimistic” and “archived as evidence.”
Game 1: The First Warning Shot
Arizona 6, Washington 3
I said Arizona’s offense could give Washington problems.
I did not say: “Expect eight extra-base hits and RFK Stadium to briefly become a pinball machine.”
Sterling Hitchcock allowed 10 hits but limited the damage.
Ken Hill… did not.
The Diamondbacks spread production everywhere: Ventura, Griffey, Moises Alou (of course), Tony Gwynn — all doing small, efficient violence to Washington’s pitching.
Washington’s staff, so steady against Toronto, looked suddenly mortal.
This was the first sign.
Game 2: The Senators Jump Ahead… and Then Remember They Are the Senators
Arizona 8, Washington 4
Washington led 4–2 entering the seventh.
Andy Pettitte was pitching well.
RFK crowd alive.
Good vibes.
Reasonable baseball.
Then Carlos Baerga hit his second home run of the night and the Diamondbacks remembered they are a team with a very long lineup and no interest in playing fair.
The ninth inning?
A slow-motion car crash:
- Mike Bordick delivered a back-breaking two-run single.
- Percival melted (four earned, two walks, one homer).
- Arizona walked out with an 8–4 win in a game they had no business winning.
At this point, the series’ tone was set:
If the Diamondbacks were within striking distance, they were going to strike.
And Washington, unfortunately, kept leaving the door unlocked.
Game 3: Floyd Youmans Turns Into a Wall
Arizona 4, Washington 1
Six shutout innings from Youmans.
Seven hits for Washington, zero leverage.
And Sandy Alomar Jr. — who had been mostly quiet this postseason — detonated a two-run homer in the first.
This game is where the Senators truly cracked. Their at-bats lengthened not because they were working counts, but because they looked unsure. Guerrero, Rodriguez, McGriff — all searching, not finding.
Washington went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Arizona went 1-for-2.
The efficiency gap was enormous.
Game 4: The Meltdown
Arizona 11, Washington 1
This one wasn’t a baseball game.
It was a thesis statement.
Livan Hernández was hit so hard in the sixth inning that I am convinced the sound still hasn’t stopped reverberating in Phoenix.
Six runs in the sixth.
Three more in the eighth.
Sixteen hits total.
Moises Alou, the eventual series MVP, finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI… then left with an injury and still managed to leave the building as the most productive player in the series.
Tony Gwynn?
Home run.
Two RBI.
Five total bases.
Roger Ventura?
Two hits and basically parked himself at first.
Mike Bordick?
Two hits and continues the trend of “quietly tormenting the Senators.”
DeShields stole everything that wasn’t bolted down.
It was 11–1 by the end and somehow felt worse.
So… What Did I Predict Again?
I said the Senators’ pitching depth would keep them in every game.
Instead:
- They allowed 29 runs in four games.
- The bullpen surrendered 12 runs in Games 2 and 4 alone.
- Washington hitters struck out 27 times in the series.
- Arizona slashed .312 / .361 / .505 in the series.
- Washington slashed .219 / .271 / .292.
That’s not a matchup.
That’s a mismatch.
And look — Washington is a good team. They belong in this round. They deserve credit for a strong postseason run.
But Arizona?
Arizona looked like they were playing downhill. The bats, the baserunning, the timely power, the depth — it all clicked at once.
Moises Alou’s MVP is well-earned.
But truthfully, the entire Diamondbacks roster played like they were each auditioning for the award.
Final Thoughts: “Prescott, You Were Wrong.”
Yes.
Yes, I was.
I thought Washington’s pitching, which shut down Toronto in four games, would at least force this series to six.
Instead, the Diamondbacks brought a sledgehammer.
So here is my updated assessment:
Arizona is not just hot — they are structurally dangerous.
And if Cincinnati wants this World Series, they are going to have to beat a team with no holes and no hesitation.
If the Reds are “volcanic,” as Jack described…
Then the Diamondbacks are the team walking calmly across the lava.
And now?
We get to see what happens when unstoppable meets immovable.