A week ago, it sure felt as if the Diamondbacks' postseason hopes were slipping away from them.
But ever since a series-opening loss to the Yankees last Friday, Arizona has been red hot. Before Saturday’s 10-7 loss to the Padres, the D-backs rattled off six straight wins to stay afloat, improbably, in the National League Wild Card race.
The Snakes, as they say, are alive.
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With just one game remaining for both clubs, the D-backs (86-75) sit one game behind the Phillies (87-74) for the final NL Wild Card spot. Crucially, Arizona would also win a tiebreaker between the clubs. (The two teams split their six head-to-head meetings this year, but the D-backs have a superior intra-divisional record, which is the second tiebreaker).
Here's what it would take for the D-backs to make the playoffs.
How can the D-backs win the last Wild Card spot?
- Win at Padres AND
- Phillies loss vs. Rays
The first thing to emphasize is that Arizona does not control its own destiny. Regardless of what the D-backs do on Sunday, if the Phillies win their season finale against the Rays, then Philadelphia will secure a postseason berth for a fifth consecutive season.
But if the Phillies continue to stumble -- they have lost four in a row and are 5-7 in their past 12 games -- then the door is ajar. In addition to a Phillies loss, Arizona MUST win Sunday’s game against the Padres at Petco Park (3:10 p.m. ET).
To complicate matters even more, a Nor'easter has descended on the East Coast this weekend. While Boston is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, Philadelphia has been hit, too: The start of Saturday’s game against the Rays was delayed by 35 minutes. The storm could make it difficult for the Phillies to play Sunday’s 3:05 p.m. ET game as scheduled. But if the D-backs continue to win, that game will most certainly matter -- and thus must be played.
Whichever of the two teams gets into the postseason will earn the third and final NL Wild Card berth, as the Padres clinched the top Wild Card with Saturday’s win over the D-backs and the Cubs have locked down the second NL Wild Card berth. San Diego and Chicago will face off in a Wild Card Series next week at Petco Park, and either the D-backs or Phillies will be the NL’s No. 6 seed and will take on the No. 3 seed Braves in a Wild Card Series in Atlanta.