Diamondbacks Miss Playoffs After Falling to Padres on Final Day

Arizona’s Postseason Hopes End in San Diego

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ postseason hopes came to an end on the final day of the regular season Sunday, as they fell 9-4 to the playoff-bound San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Arizona entered the day with a path to the playoffs, needing a victory over San Diego and a Philadelphia Phillies loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Neither scenario materialized.

The Phillies defeated the Rays 7-3 to clinch the final National League wild-card berth, eliminating the Diamondbacks shortly after they took the field in San Diego. Arizona finished the season 86-76, a six-win improvement over last season’s 80-82 record, but still missed the postseason for the eighth time in nine seasons. The Diamondbacks’ 2023 World Series run remains their only playoff appearance since 2017, despite recording five winning seasons during that span.

Padres Rally to Finish Strong

San Diego, which had already secured the top NL wild-card spot Saturday, finished the regular season 91-71 after winning seven consecutive series and 17 of its final 20 games. The Padres will host the Chicago Cubs beginning Tuesday night in the opening round of the postseason. The appearance marks San Diego’s third consecutive trip to the playoffs, another first in franchise history.

With several regulars getting the day off, including Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Xavier Bogaerts, the Padres still produced enough offense to finish their regular season on a high note. Freddy Fermin drove in three runs, while Gavin Sheets homered and helped San Diego build an early advantage.

Randy Vásquez delivered six strong innings, allowing one run while keeping Arizona’s offense in check. Sheets then led off the fourth inning with his 17th home run of the season in just his second game back after missing four weeks with a left foot injury.

Manny Machado also contributed an RBI single in the third inning, scoring Sung-Mun Song before Machado exited for a pinch-runner. Machado finished the regular season with 399 career home runs, leaving him one shy of the 400-homer milestone and third among active players behind Giancarlo Stanton and Mike Trout.

Diamondbacks Rally Before Padres Answer

Arizona finally broke through in the seventh inning after Padres reliever Griffin Canning surrendered a three-run lead. Corbin Carroll, Tim Tawa and Lars Nootbaar each delivered an RBI to pull the Diamondbacks even and briefly give them renewed life.

San Diego responded immediately. Jake Cronenworth drew a bases-loaded walk from Justin Martinez to put the Padres back in front. Fermin followed with a two-run single, turning the game back in San Diego’s favor. The Padres’ decisive rally came at nearly the same time the Phillies were completing their 7-3 victory over Tampa Bay, officially ending Arizona’s playoff hopes.

Moreno Wins NL Batting Title

Even with the disappointing finish, the Diamondbacks had a major individual accomplishment to celebrate. Catcher Gabriel Moreno won the National League batting title with a .311 average, edging Philadelphia’s Luis Arraez, who finished at .310.

Moreno was scratched from Sunday’s lineup about an hour before first pitch because of a sore hamstring, but the decision did not prevent him from securing the batting crown. Moreno became the first catcher to win a batting title since Buster Posey accomplished the feat for the San Francisco Giants in 2012.

Arizona Looks Ahead After Another Winning Season

The Diamondbacks will head into the offseason with an 86-76 record and plenty of questions after coming up short in the playoff race. Arizona improved significantly from its 80-win campaign a year ago, but the club could not overcome the late-season competition for the National League’s final postseason berth.

For San Diego, Sunday marked the conclusion of a remarkable turnaround. The Padres had a losing record as recently as late July before closing the season with a 17-3 surge. They now turn their attention to the Cubs and another postseason opportunity, while Arizona begins an offseason focused on turning another winning season into a return to October baseball.