D-backs finally putting pieces together to stay in Wild Card contention
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ATLANTA – It’s been a strange month of August for a Diamondbacks team that is fighting for a postseason berth for the first time since they made it to the World Series in 2024.
Arizona (66-58), which is tied for the second National League Wild Card spot, has had to play three of the NL’s toughest teams en route to its 8-6 August record.
Prior to this weekend’s series against the Braves at Truist Park, the D-backs split a four-game series with the Padres (who they are tied with in the NL Wild Card standings) and won a series against the Dodgers (first in the NL West), with a somewhat fluky series loss against the Rockies sprinkled in.
The D-backs earned a series win against the NL East-leading Braves with a 10-3 victory on Saturday night.
Arizona has been competitive against the league’s best teams. It’s seemingly a matter of putting all the pieces together – something the D-backs have struggled to do this season – which is exactly what they did to hand Atlanta its fourth series loss at Truist Park this season.
On Friday, it was the defense that shone. Brandon Pfaadt delivered seven innings of two-hit ball and Arizona downed Atlanta 2-0, which was just the eighth time the Braves have been shut out this season.
On Saturday, Arizona surrendered two early runs, but the offense erupted for 10 straight runs until Atlanta tacked on a third run in the bottom of the ninth.
The big bopper for the D-backs was 35-year-old Nolan Arenado. The eight-time All-Star went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs.
It was Arenado’s second multihomer game this season and the fourth time this year that he’s tallied four or more RBIs in a game. His season high is five, which he achieved on April 15.
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Eduardo Rodriguez gave up two first-inning runs but allowed just two hits over the next five frames, and his final line was two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks over six innings.
Arizona was also 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position on Saturday. The D-backs were 3-for-30 with runners in scoring position in the three games prior.