With the Dodgers put away and in the rear-view mirror, at least until the post-season, the D-backs schedule now presents them with a bit of a palate-cleanser. Three games at home against the Rockies, currently locked in a tussle with the Angels, as Colorado seek to repeat as the worst team in baseball? I don’t mind if I do. As usual, the Rockies are particularly woeful away from home, where they are just 19-40. This feels like a series where taking two out of three is the absolute minimum for the D-backs.
Ideally, all three. Well, I feel we should be looking to win four of three, but suspect that might be a little too much to ask, even against Colorado.
Having crossed off the Dodgers certainly helps Arizona’s strength of schedule. Here, how the teams in the wild-card standings currently rank, along with their position and the win percentage of their remaining opponents.
- Cubs, +6.0 – .528 (2nd)
- Phillies, +0.0 – .518 (7th)
- D-backs, +0.0 – .493 (16th)
- Padres, -1.0, – .504 (12th)
- Marlins, -3.0 – .519 (6th)
- Cardinals, -3.5 – .500 (13th)
It’s promising that Arizona has the easiest schedule of the teams currently in the picture. The Cubs still have six games left against the Brewers, who have the best record in the National League, and six more against the second-best Braves. It’s not hard to imagine them going 4-8 there and dropping back significantly towards the pack. It’s also worth noting the difference between the NL and AL this year. The only National League teams in the bottom half by strength of remaining schedule are the D-backs (16th, .493), the Nationals (19th, .492) and the Dodgers (23rd, .489). The last-named obviously benefit, like us, from not having to face the Dodgers.
