Diamondbacks set new MLB standard for being just fine
Well, it’s better than setting a new mark for futility.
In news sure to elicit responses of impassioned indifference in the desert, the Arizona Diamondbacks are the new owners of an MLB record for hovering around the .500 mark.
The Diamondbacks beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-5 on Thursday to reel off their fourth straight win. The victory improved their record to 68-66, marking their 60th straight game of being within two games of .500, a streak that dates back to June 18, when they fell to 38-36.
New record for just OK
According to the Associated Press, that’s a new MLB record, surpassing the wholly mediocre 2007 Oakland A’s, who achieved the “feat” over a span of 56 games.
Diamondbacks should be better
The good news for the Diamondbacks is that they appear to be better than their record suggests. Their run differential of plus-67 is definitely above average. And they’ve got an outside shot of sneaking into the playoffs if things break their way down the stretch run.
They stand 4 1/2 games outside of the second NL wild-card spot. And it’s baseball after all. Things are supposed to average out in the long run. That’s why they play 162 games, right?
If they’re going to break through the doldrums of mediocrity, they’ll have earned it, with three games remaining in a series against the NL West juggernaut Dodgers. A win against Los Angeles on Friday night would put an end to their streak of just-OKness.
It would also be the next step in a long-shot road to the NL wild card.
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