PHOENIX -- Saturday night at Chase Field began with an uplifting and emotional tribute to the 2001 World Series champion Diamondbacks, most of whom were on hand for the 25th anniversary celebration and one of the most memorable national anthems you’ll ever see.
Cam Schlittler and the Yankees seemed determined to spoil the festivities, with the American League Cy Young Award frontrunner taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning, but Arizona would have its say.
The D-backs broke through on Jordan Lawlar’s two-run triple in the fifth, chased Schlittler from a tie game after six innings and snapped their three-game skid when pinch-hitter Pavin Smith crushed a walk-off homer to secure a much-needed 5-3 victory -- a fitting tribute to Luis Gonzalez’s Game 7 heroics a quarter century ago.
“This came on a really special night,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “That entire 2001 team is here. There was a ton of energy in the stadium, so maybe there was a little bit of magic somewhere in these rafters that everybody picked up on.”
With the score tied at 3, Ildemaro Vargas opened the ninth inning with a walk, but only after an ABS challenge reversed a strike-three call on a full-count pitch that was below the zone. One out later, Smith sent a Michael Fulmer cutter into the right-center-field seats.
While Gonzalez was easily the MVP of the 2001 Diamondbacks, Smith made for the unlikeliest of September heroes on the ‘26 squad, especially if you wind the clock back to July when he was designated for assignment.
Smith struggled after returning on June 1 from a prolonged absence due to bone chips, so much so that the D-backs had to DFA him and hope he cleared waivers so they could send him to Triple-A Reno to get right.
They were able to keep Smith in the organization, and his time in the Minors gave him back his timing and his confidence. Now he’s back and filling a key bench role as Arizona tries to climb back into the playoff picture.
“Great moment for Pavin, even greater moment for this team,” Lovullo said. “From my standpoint and where I'm sitting, I'm watching every player sell out to do whatever it's going to take to help us win a baseball game, and they are fighting with everything they have, and it's very inspiring.”
Smith's homer breathed a little life into the D-backs’ playoff hopes. Arizona (81-74) sits four games behind the Phillies (85-70) for the final NL Wild Card spot with seven games to play.
The day began with the Cubs, Phillies and Padres holding the NL Wild Card spots with identical records, five games ahead of the Diamondbacks. Chicago and San Diego won and Philadelphia lost, so Arizona’s next closest contender is now the Phillies.
That’s less ideal than the Padres, whom the D-backs play the final three games of the season, but at this point Lovullo and Co. have to win as many of the seven remaining games as possible anyway. Saturday’s victory was the first step.
“It's a great win. It's the type of win that you're looking for in certain moments of a season that will help push you into the next day,” Lovullo said. “And I'm looking for a bigger push than that. We know what we have to do. Our backs are against the wall. We know that.”
Adding another layer to the D-backs’ October pursuit is the uncertain future of their manager, whose comments during Friday’s radio appearance on Arizona Sports’ Burnes & Gambo Show pointed out the stakes.
During the interview, he said the Diamondbacks “probably” needed to make the postseason for him to be retained as manager for 2027. Lovullo, in his 10th year at the club’s helm, is in the final year of the extension he signed after reaching the World Series in 2023.
Lovullo elaborated on those comments before Saturday’s game.
“I’ve had to fight for everything in my career,” Lovullo said, “so I'm used to that, and my job here is … for the 28 players and 22 coaches, to be present for them and be available for them. And then when it's time to worry about it and think about it, whether that's sooner or later, I will.
“But I got to do my job, and if I'm worried about different things that I can't control, I'm not doing my job for that group in there. I'm doing fine. I'm doing fine because I've lived in this space for a long time, and I understand the playbook and I understand the realities of this game.”
For now, it's onto Sunday’s series finale against the Yankees. After that comes a three-game set against the Rockies at Coors Field. If all goes well, the season-ending series in San Diego will be High Noon for Lovullo and the D-backs.