Even on a day they didn’t play a game, the Diamondbacks had a huge day in the standings. As they were enjoying their off day in Tampa Bay, the scoreboard results in the National League played out in the team’s favor.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Dodgers, Mets, and Braves all lost on Thursday, putting Arizona a game closer to their second straight postseason berth. The deficit in the National League West division is down to two games with 40 games left in the season for the Diamondbacks, Dodgers, and Padres. Additionally, they are also a game closer to clinching at least Wild Card spot with a Braves loss. The magic number to clinch a postseason berth is down to 35 games with a little more than six weeks left in the regular season.
The Dodgers will travel to Chase Field for a four-game wraparound series on Labor Day Weekend. That weekend could play a huge role in who ultimately wins the division at the end of the season, as a series win by Arizona would erase the entire deficit in one swoop. That combined with the Padres playing the Dodgers and Diamondbacks to close out their season, the division race won’t likely be wrapped up until the very end of the season.
The Diamondbacks have not won the National League West division since the 2011 season. The losing pitcher for the Dodgers on Thursday, Daniel Hudson, was an up-and-coming starter on the Diamondbacks that season. Paul Goldschmidt, who will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown, was a late-season call-up for Arizona in the first of 14 seasons in the big leagues. Since then, the team has earned their only two Wild Card berths in franchise history and their second-ever National League pennant last season.
Looking at the Wild Card race, the Padres have kept up with the Diamondbacks despite their 30-10 stretch since June 29. However, a 20-5 record after the All-Star break has created some separation in the Wild Card race against other teams. They are 4.5 games ahead of Atlanta, meaning they are much closer to catching the Dodgers than another team chasing them in the Wild Card race is to catching up to them. That’s why the team’s odds of reaching the postseason are well north of 90% entering play on August 16 despite less than a one-in-six chance of taking the division.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
