Diamondbacks and Giants Clash in Pivotal Series With Playoff Hopes on the Line

Diamondbacks and Giants Face Off in Crucial Series with Playoff Implications

The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants, once considered trade deadline sellers with minimal playoff prospects, are now engaged in a pivotal series at Chase Field that carries significant playoff implications. Both teams have defied expectations and battled through injuries to remain in contention for a Wild Card spot in the National League.

The Road to Contention

At the trade deadline, the Giants held a 55-55 record, six games behind the third Wild Card spot. The Diamondbacks faced an even steeper climb at 51-59, trailing by ten games. Injuries to key players like Randy Rodriguez (Giants) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (Diamondbacks) further complicated their paths.

Despite these challenges, the Giants surged back into the race, winning 11 of 12 games and entering the series opener just 1.5 games behind the New York Mets for the final Wild Card spot. The Diamondbacks, fueled by a younger roster, have gone 24-16 over their last 40 games, boasting the third-best record in the NL since August 1, and are only two games back.

Offensively, the Giants have been potent, ranking third in the NL in runs scored over the last month. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks' starting pitching has been a strength, posting a top-three ERA of 3.67.

Playoff Odds and Tiebreaker Scenarios

According to Baseball Reference, the Giants have an 18.9% chance of making the playoffs, while the Diamondbacks have a 12.8% chance. FanGraphs offers more conservative estimates, with the Giants at 9.3% and the Diamondbacks at 5.3%.

With the season series tied at 5-5, the outcome of this series is crucial, especially if tiebreakers are needed at the end of the season. The Giants took two of three from the Diamondbacks last week at Oracle Park.

The Giants won a series at Chase Field last season that played a role in the Diamondbacks missing the postseason. This series provides Arizona with an opportunity to potentially return the favor.

Probable Starting Pitchers

The Giants opted to use an off day to line up Logan Webb and Robbie Ray against the Los Angeles Dodgers. While neither pitched exceptionally well, the Diamondbacks will face the back end of their rotation. Justin Verlander, despite his age, has been effective recently, posting a 1.13 ERA in his last four starts.

Zac Gallen has shown improvement since the trade deadline, recording a 2.83 ERA, although the Giants did tag him for five earned runs last week. Eduardo Rodriguez looks to build off his last start, a 5-3 win over the Giants.

Players to Watch

Willy Adames of the Giants has been on a tear, slashing .299/.394/.675 with nine home runs over his last 22 games. He has performed well against the Diamondbacks this year, hitting .342 in 10 games.

For the Diamondbacks, Geraldo Perdomo is 7-for-his-last-16 with five walks. He's also close to reaching personal milestones with one home run shy of 20 and five RBIs shy of 100.

Giants Call Up Top Prospect

The Giants are calling up their top prospect, Bryce Eldridge, for the postseason push. Eldridge, a 6-foot-7, left-handed slugger, is ranked No. 13 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list. He hit 18 home runs in 66 games for Triple-A but also had a high strikeout rate.

Scoreboard Watching

The Mets are off on Monday but start a series against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. The Padres are trailing the Dodgers by 2.5 games for the NL West lead, making their series a crucial one. The Cincinnati Reds are a half-game behind Arizona and take on the St. Louis Cardinals.

Diamondbacks Offering Ticket Specials

The Diamondbacks are offering $15 tickets for lower-level bleacher and bullpen seats, as well as upper-level tickets, for this week’s series against the Giants. The club hopes to fill the stadium and create a strong home-field advantage as they push for a playoff berth. A Tweet promoting the tickets was included: "Domo wants you here this week. Get $15 tickets for the Giants series: https://t.co/hrJLGnoQg2 pic.twitter.com/td7q1lfWFr"

Follow @alexjweiner

9/16 Gamethread: Giants @ Diamondbacks

The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight from Chase Field.

Taking the mound for the Giants will (likely) be Tristan Beck, which would make it his first start of the year. He’ll be entering tonight’s game with a 4.88 ERA, 4.27 FIP, with 36 strikeouts to 14 walks in 48 innings pitched. His last appearance was in the Giants’ 13-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, in which he struck out one and allowed one walk in two innings of relief.

He’ll be facing off against Eduardo Rodríguez, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.98 ERA, 4.46 FIP, with 130 strikeouts to 55 walks in 137.1 innings pitched. His last start was in last Wednesday’s 5-3 win over the Giants, in which he allowed two hits and two walks with six strikeouts in six and a third innings.