It’s like a movie you’ve seen over and over again. You’ve seen it so many times you can practically recite the dialogue. That’s what last nights D-Backs game was like for me. Strikingly familiar.

I’ve watched every D-Backs game this year and last night’s 3-1 Game 1 win over the Cubs was a template of how they win games.

Strong starting pitching, timely hitting in a close game, finish strong with the bullpen. The D-backs won 90 games this year and I’d bet 90 percent of those 90 games were won just like that.

Brandon Webb had good stuff last night and he needed it, the Cubs had two or three moments where Webb was one pitch away from disaster but disaster never struck.

The defense was solid. Mark Reynolds had the error, but Drew had a couple of key outs and Tony Clark was steady at first.

Brandon Lyon did what he has done all year; or I should say what he hasn’t done all year. He doesn’t strike people out, but he is awfully effective. And Valverde cleaned it up despite a stomach turning at bat against Alfonso Soriano.

Offensively, it was just enough and the D-backs were able to puncture reliever Carlos Marmol.

Lou Pinella came into the interview room knowing he’d get second guessed for pulling Carlos Zambrano after only 85 pitches and he was. When a reporter asked him if he could be accused of looking to far ahead, I thought Mt. Lou was gonna blow.

His decision-making process will get most of the headlines today, once again taking the spotlight away from a D-Backs team that strangely enough, at the end of the day, finds a way to beat you.

Comments? Reach Dave Burns at dburns@ktar.com.