Here’s a look at the D-Backs’ road ahead with 3 weeks remaining in regular season
PHOENIX (AP) — Pavin Smith homered in first three at-bats for his first multi-home run game and drove in a career-high eight runs, helping the Arizona Diamondbacks rout the Houston Astros 12-6 on Sunday night to end a three-game losing streak.
Smith became the second Diamondback with a three-homer game this season, with Eugenio Suárez doing it against Washington on July 30. J.D. Martinez set the Arizona record with four home runs at Los Angeles on Sept. 4, 2017.
“It was a great day for Pavin,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “Pavin can hit. We always feel comfortable with his at-bats, his ability to come in the lineup after not playing for a couple of days and be able to barrel up the baseball.”
Arizona — which scored at least 10 runs for a majors-best 18th time — pulled within a half-game of San Diego for the National League’s first wild card and increased its lead over New York and Atlanta to 1 1/2 games. Houston leads Seattle by 4 1/2 games in the AL West.
Welcome to September baseball.
The playoff races, particularly in the National League, look like they could be barnburners over the final three weeks. In the NL, the D-Backs, San Diego Padres, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves are in a four-team scramble with only three wild card spots available.
Diamondbacks (80-64): Arizona was one of the hottest teams in baseball during August, but September hasn’t been as kind. The team boasts one of the best offenses in baseball, but the pitching has been shaky. Christian Walker and Ketel Marte recently returned to boost an already productive lineup. Of the final 18 games, 11 are at home, including a crucial five-game homestand this week.
Here’s a look at the upcoming road for the other three teams after Sunday’s games:
- Padres (81-64): Fernando Tatis Jr. recently returned, which has provided a boost for the lineup. The bad news for the Padres is they have 11 of their final 17 games on the road, including three against the D-backs over the regular season’s final weekend that could prove decisive in the race. The good news is they get three games against the Chicago White Sox, which could very well end up as one of the worst teams in MLB history.
- Mets (78-65): New York couldn’t keep winning forever, though it felt like it might during a nine-game winning streak that ended Sunday. In particularly, the team’s pitching has been rock solid over the past two weeks thanks to Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and David Peterson. The Mets are on the road for 12 of their final 19.
- Braves (78-65): Atlanta’s a banged-up bunch, but has still managed to win four of its past six. The Braves are nearly unbeatable every fifth day when Chris Sale takes the mound. The Braves could have a pressure-packed homestand to end the season when the Mets and Kansas City Royals visit over the final six games. The Royals are fighting for position in the AL race.
Meanwhile, in the American League
The AL playoff race isn’t quite as hot and heavy at the moment, but it wouldn’t take much for that to change. The Minnesota Twins have a 3 1/2 game lead over the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners for the final wild card.
The Boston Red Sox are four back while the Tampa Bay Rays are five behind.
Also of note, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are locked in a fight for the AL East. The Yankees currently have a half-game lead. The winner will likely get a bye for the first round of the playoffs.
Up Next For Arizona
RHP Zac Gallen (11-6, 3.69 ERA) is scheduled to face Texas Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-7, 3.55 ERA) at home Tuesday night in a 2023 World Series rematch.
The Rangers have fallen well behind their 2023 mark, currently at 70-74 and all but out of the AL Wild Card race.
The Snakes will take on another team in the NL Wild Card race, the Padres, to end their season on Sept. 27-29. That series is likely to have major postseason implications.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.
