Dbacks win on final day but postseason hopes still undecided
The Diamondbacks take down the Padres in regular season finale, but their playoff hopes comes down to Mets-Braves double header.
PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Brandon Pfaadt struck out nine batters to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 11-2 victory over the San Diego Padres at Chase Field on Sunday in front of over 38,000 fans.
The Diamondbacks finish the regular season at (89-73). They are currently tied with the Braves and Mets for the second and third National League wildcard places. New York and Atlanta will play a double header on Monday and each of those ball clubs have the tiebreakers over the Diamondbacks.
The Padres finish the regular season at (93-68) and are locked in the top wild card spot.
"It sucks, but there's nothing you can do about it," Dbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "We made this bed. We got sleep in it. We are in hope for the best. They [Mets and Braves are] great franchises. They have two great managers, and I don't think either have the gene of laying down."
The Padres struck first in the second inning courtesy of an Elias Diaz RBI double. The Diamondbacks offense exploded in the fourth inning rattling off six runs, headlined by an 443 foot two-run homer from Ketel Marte. In the seventh inning, Eugenio Suarez hit his 30th home run of the season to make the game 9-2. The snakes would add two more runs later on to make it an 11-2 final.
For Arizona, Pfaadt pitched 5.1 innings striking out nine batters and giving up one earned run off three hits.
"I'm just glad he's a Dback and I get the chance to manage him," Lovullo said. "He can go out there and fill up the strike zone and follow the game plan as good as anybody. He doesn't back down. He does not back down mentality. And that's why he has a lot of success. This was a must win day today and I couldn't think of a better guy to have out there.
Marte went two for five with the home run.
Randal Grichuk went two for five scoring three runs with a home run.
For San Diego, Martin Perez pitched 3.2 innings surrending six earned runs off of eight hits and struck out three.
Diaz went 1 for 3 with the RBI double.
The Padres will host whichever team clinches the second wildcard spot on Tuesday. In order to clinch a postseason berth, Monday's double header between the Mets and Braves must be a clean sweep with one side winning both games.
If the games are split, New York and Atlanta advance to the postseason and Arizona will be eliminated.
