Diamondbacks beat rival Dodgers. It's always sweet to 'beat LA!'
The Arizona Diamondbacks are heading to the National League Championship Series for the first time in 16 years, but it’s sweet because they sweep-ed LA to beat LA.
The 4-2 Arizona victory Wednesday night at Chase Field capped a dominant 3-0 series sweep.
It’s always special when Phoenix beats LA because there’s so much history.
The Dodgers win the NL West every year, and in the process they treat the Diamondbacks the way unsupervised middle schoolers treat an abandoned couch.
It extends to the postseason.
The Dodgers ended the Diamondbacks’ last playoff run in 2017 with a 3-0 sweep that has taken Arizona six years to avenge.
It extends to other sports.
The last time the Cardinals reached the postseason, the Rams were waiting to send them home.
And the Suns and Lakers have a history of playoff battles that goes back to 1970. Phoenix has gotten the best of that rivalry recently, but the '70s and '80s belonged to LA.
It’s not just the pros.
USC and Arizona State had been heated football rivals since 1978, and the Trojans have won seven of the last nine matchups. With the dissolve of the Pac-12, they might never play again.
But it’s more than that.
The LA teams always seem to compete for titles while the Phoenix teams are lucky to win their divisions.
And, mostly, the LA teams can buy talent that the Phoenix teams have to grow and groom.
That’s why it’s so sweet that the Dbacks are going to the NLCS for the first time in 16 years, because they sweep-ed LA to beat LA.
Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks 'beat LA' and avenge long history of Phoenix losses
