SAN DIEGO -- The Diamondbacks’ postseason fate will come down to Game No. 162.
A 10-7 loss to the Padres on Saturday night at Petco Park snapped the Diamondbacks’ six-game winning streak and put their season squarely on the brink.
The good news for Arizona is the Phillies' collapse continued with a 12-1 loss to the Rays, so the Diamondbacks didn't lose any ground in the standings. They did, however, lose a day off the calendar, and Philadelphia still controls what happens in this race for the NL's final Wild Card spot.
If the Phillies -- with ace Zack Wheeler on the mound -- beat the Rays on Sunday, it doesn't matter what the Diamondbacks do against the Padres, they will be headed home for the winter.
If the Phillies lose, Arizona still has to beat the Padres in order to make the postseason, since it owns the tiebreaker over Philadelphia. A Phillies loss and a Diamondbacks loss still means the Diamondbacks are eliminated.
So how will they approach the final game of the regular season?
"The same way we do every single day," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "With great intent, great focus, and with designs of winning a baseball game. That's all we can do."
Pressure? Sure, but the Diamondbacks have been staring at elimination for the past five days and have found a way to stay alive.
So there won't be any rah-rah speeches. They've treated every day since last Saturday as a must-win game; what is one more at this point?
"I don't think there's really anything that needs to be said," veteran catcher James McCann said. "I think everyone here knows what's at stake. For us as a team, you look where we were a week ago compared to where we are going to Game 162. … We're going to keep playing the way we've been playing, free and having fun, and for each other."
Working in the Diamondbacks’ favor is that with their win Saturday, the Padres clinched the No. 1 Wild Card spot and will play the Cubs at Petco Park in the Wild Card Series. That means that San Diego doesn't have anything on the line, so it will go with a bullpen game and is likely to rest a number of its regulars.
Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks will start Michael Soroka, who has been one of their better pitchers this year.
With their season hanging in the balance, though, it will be all hands on deck, and Lovullo will not hesitate to go to the bullpen early and often. Even ace Eduardo Rodriguez, who they would like to use in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against Atlanta should they get there, will be available.
Whereas the Phillies seem suffocated by the pressure of not blowing their lead, the Diamondbacks are energized and feel like they are playing with house money at this point.
"I'm having a lot of fun," outfielder Corbin Carroll said. "It's been really enjoyable. This last stretch of games going from not as much being in the [playoff] picture to where we are right now, I'm proud of this group and the job that a lot of guys have done stepping up. It's been-it's been really fun to be a part of."
Once the Diamondbacks lost control of their own destiny a little more than a week ago, their goal was to stave off elimination as long as possible and take their chances. Well, they pushed it all the way to Game No. 162. Where they go after that remains to be seen.