D'backs playoff game (October 5, 2011)

We (me, PJ, Chris, PJr, Nedda, PJr's friend (Alan)) attended game four of the NLDS between Diamondbacks and Brewers on October 5, 2011.  This was our second post-season venture in recent years, four years to the day since the last one (see here for description of 2007 outing v. Cubs).  And our second in-season venture to the ballpark (see here). 

pre-game view; we arrived very early.  I like this vantage point.

Diamondbacks looked weak in Milwaukee and had fallen behind two games to zip; not a good thing in a five-game series.  But they had won on Tuesday night, extending the series to game four.

Maybe because of the weak start to the series and uncertainty about getting to game four; maybe just because; the place wasn't filled.  But it certainly was quite loud.  The team gave away 35,000 black T-shirts for what was billed as a "black-out" (complementing the team wearing black uniforms) - I can't say it was terribly effective.  All in all:  we enjoyed the game a bunch - long, lots of scoring, Ryan Roberts grand slam, just a nice outing.  For a full description of the game, see here.

In response to the Brewers' "beast mode" antics, the Diamondbacks (via Miguel Montero) offered up a "snake bite" mode.  An amiable Brewers fan sat beside me, and patiently endured multiple "snake bite" attacks from PJ as the Diamondbacks thrived throughout the game.

The D'backs ended up losing the series on Friday in Milwaukee - many missed opportunities. 

It was a ridiculous season in many respects - a team that had lost 90+ games two years in a row, looked awful in spring training, looked awful on paper, played awful for the first six weeks.  Then caught fire and somehow won 94 games - very entertaining throughout.  The team brought up this kid named Josh Collmenter - a/k/a Chainsaw Jim Duggan (or whatever) - perhaps the single biggest factor.