Arizona’s last push ran out of innings Sunday in San Diego. The Diamondbacks needed a win over the Padres and a Tampa Bay victory in Philadelphia to keep their postseason route open, but the Phillies’ 7-3 result over the Rays settled the race during the seventh inning of Arizona’s game.
Sunday scoreboard
| Game | Result | Postseason impact |
|---|---|---|
| Phillies vs. Rays | Phillies 7, Rays 3 | Arizona eliminated |
| Padres vs. Diamondbacks | Padres 9, Diamondbacks 4 | Arizona’s season ended |
The club had entered the final day with no margin left after Saturday night’s 10-7 loss. A win at Petco Park, paired with a Philadelphia defeat, would have sent the Diamondbacks on to Atlanta for Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series. Instead, the Padres finished off the day with a 9-4 victory, and Arizona will head home for the winter.
It was still a spirited final-week charge. The run began the previous Saturday, when Arizona beat the Yankees and Cam Schlittler, the likely American League Cy Young Award winner. The Diamondbacks kept it going for six games, sweeping the Rockies in three games and taking the first game of the San Diego series before the narrow path finally closed.
