As the Diamondbacks' season was winding down, manager Torey Lovullo looked at the late wins over the Dodgers as a way to still leave a mark on the blueprint of the postseason. An impact on the NL West pennant race would carry on even once his team finished playing.
But the 2018 Diamondbacks also had an impact that will last much longer and reach much, much further.
Auckland, New Zealand, and Phoenix are separated by a 20-hour time difference and more than 6,700 miles. Arizona's relationship with Ian McDonald is making that trek feel a little closer.