Virginia Tech Baseball: Joe Mantiply helps Diamondbacks reach NLCS

Wednesday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in a National League Division Round Series. It was a stunning sweep as it was another year with high hopes for the Dodgers, but more postseason failure will follow them since the 2020 World Series Championship in the bubble.

Arizona completed the sweep in impressive fashion over their heavily favored NL West Division foe. For the second time this postseason, a former Virginia Tech pitcher played a big part in the stunning sweep.

Joe Mantiply records second win of playoffs

Last week aaginst the Milwaukee Brewers in the wild-card round, former Virginia Tech pitcher Joe Mantiply picked up the win in relief in Game 1. On Wednesday night at Chase Field, the southpaw again came on in relief and was credited as the winning pitcher.

Mantiply came on with one out in the top of the fifth in relief of Brandon Pfaadt with the Diamondbacks leading 4-0. Throwing 14 pitches, Mantiply threw 11 strikes in 1.1 innings, not allowing a hit and striking out one.

Mantiply worked 0.2 innings in Arizona’s 11-2 Game 1 victory last Saturday night and struck out one and threw just seven pitches.

The Diamondbacks are loaded with young talent, including Corbin Carroll. You can make the case that they are a year ahead of schedule in terms of competing for a World Series Championship. They were in a playoff spot at the All-Star Break back in July, however, they struggled out of the break and spent most of the second half of the season in a fight with five teams for three wild card spots.

They now await the winner of the other National League Division Series between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, with the Phillies holding a 2-1 series lead and can close out the best team in the regular season on Thursday night. Arizona begins the National League Championship Series on the road at the series winner next Monday night.