Star One Smart Blog's

Final score, NLDS Game 3, D-backs 5 Cubs 1. With no goats sacrificed, whatsoever.

"I think it's out now on a national level," outfielder Eric Byrnes said. "I think the people that watched us play all year realized how good of a team we were. Look, we kind of got it done with smoke and mirrors all year, but that's fine. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. That's one of the ways to win ballgames."

With a NL-leading 90 wins over the season, this team of mostly rookies and 2nd-year players is in for some tough competition from the Colorado Rockies, who defeated Arizona's team in 10 of their 14-game regular season match ups. The Rocks swept the Phillies in 3 games as well, setting up the 7-game NLCS starting next Thursday in Arizona.

A brief comparison of 'mascots':

The Western Diamondbacks, Crotalus ate_rocks, are a venomous species of the VIPERIDAE family. The venom is particularly nassty...

"Viperid venoms typically contain an abundance of protein-degrading enzymes, called proteases, that produce symptoms such as pain, strong local swelling and necrosis, blood loss from cardiovascular damage complicated by coagulopathy, and disruption of the blood clotting system. Death is usually caused by collapse in blood pressure."

All designed to get a good meal.

On the other hand, the 'Rockies'...

They say the Canadian ones are cuter.

And, Rocks are the natural habitat for Crotalus atrox...at least, that's true in the West.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------