If you haven't paid attention to baseball, you might be surprised to learn the Arizona Diamondbacks have the best record in the National League.
With Saturday's 4-3 victory in 10 innings against the Washington Nationals, Arizona improved to 19-7, which matched the franchise's best start through 26 games.
The Diamondbacks made the playoffs last season, and they have the talent to be contenders. But no one saw them achieving a feat of success that hasn't been equaled in 111 years.
Saturday's victory against Washington guaranteed Arizona its ninth consecutive series victory to begin the season. The last National League team to open the season with nine consecutive series wins? The 1907 Chicago Cubs.
That Cubs team would go on to win 11 consecutive series to open the season. That's the MLB record. Those Cubs would also go on to win a World Series that season, and then again in 1908.
The Diamondbacks aren't thinking that far ahead. Their March and April schedule looked challenging on paper, but they've managed to win series against the Rockies, Dodgers (twice), Giants (twice), Cardinals, Padres, Phillies and now the Nationals.
"It just means that we're doing a lot of things right and we're a good baseball team," Manager Torey Lovullo said about Arizona's streak. "We're excited about that. We know that we're having a lot of success and it takes a different approach day by day. We're always ready to play and perform."
It's most impressive that Arizona is handling its business inside the division. Six of their series wins have come against division foes. They've dominated the Dodgers too, winning five of their six April matchups.
That's notable because the Dodgers are still the team to beat in the NL West after clinching their fifth consecutive division title last season. It's also notable because it's the Dodgers that Arizona will welcome to town today for the beginning of a four-game series.
If Arizona keeps the streak alive there, the World Series champion Houston Astros will be in town next weekend for three games. Then it's the Dodgers again for two in Los Angeles.
If Arizona is to break this record, it will definitely earn it.
Not me
Chris Ballard will not be known as the general manager who traded Andrew Luck.
After Colts owner Jim Irsay said the team turned down trade offers for Luck, Ballard said the same, and he said he quickly cut off the conversation when he received calls wondering what it would take to pry Luck away from Indianapolis.
"We're not trading Andrew Luck," Ballard said. "I'm not putting that on my resume."
It sounds like Ballard didn't even let the conversations progress far enough to find out what kind of offer the Colts could receive.
"Look, we had some calls last year at the trade deadline," Ballard said. "And I just -- c'mon man. I'm not taking those seriously."
There's no word on which teams were interested in Luck, but it would be fascinating to find out the identity of those teams and just how much they were willing to offer. Even if the Colts say the answer to any offer will be a firm no.
SPORTS QUIZ
Who has played in the most games for the Arizona Diamondbacks?
ANSWER
Luis Gonzalez, 1,194 games from 1999-2006
Sports on 04/30/2018