The Arizona Diamondbacks secured an 11-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in their regular-season finale, keeping their hopes alive in the National League wild card race. Ketel Marte’s two-run homer was the highlight of a six-run fourth inning for the Diamondbacks. Arizona’s final record for the season stands at 89-73, with their playoff fate dependent on the outcome of a makeup doubleheader between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, both at 88-72. If either of the teams sweeps the doubleheader, the Diamondbacks will secure a playoff spot.
San Diego, with a final record of 93-69, awaits the announcement of their Wild Card Series opponent on Monday. Luis Arraez of the Padres is on the verge of his third consecutive batting title after finishing the season with a .314 batting average, a remarkable feat potentially making him the first player since 1900 to win three batting titles with three different teams.
Brandon Pfaadt led the way for the Diamondbacks on the mound, allowing two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts. Ryne Nelson, in his first big league save since being activated from the injured list, pitched three innings to secure the victory for Arizona. The offensive onslaught was kicked off by Elias Díaz’s RBI double for the Padres in the second inning.
In the decisive fourth inning, Christian Walker’s double sparked a string of five consecutive hits for Arizona off pitcher Martín Pérez. Eugenio Suárez’s single brought in Walker for his 100th RBI of the season. The inning was capped off by Marte’s 36th homer of the season, extending the Diamondbacks’ lead.
The Padres fought back with Elias Diaz and Jake Cronenworth driving in runs, but ultimately fell short against the Diamondbacks’ strong performance. Arizona finished the season with five more wins than the previous year. The Padres, who won 11 more games compared to the previous season, ended with their second-highest win total in franchise history.
A crowd of 38,892 in attendance for the season finale brought Arizona’s total season attendance to 2,341,876, the highest since 2008. The Diamondbacks now await the outcome of Monday’s make-up doubleheader to determine their postseason fate, while the Padres prepare to host a wild card series starting on Tuesday.
