The Arizona Diamondbacks' postseason hopes have been on life support for a few weeks, but going into the final series of the year, they are still alive.
The Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies are fighting for the final Wild Card spot in the National League, but the Phillies have a two-game lead with three games left to play. The Phillies are playing the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend and the Diamondbacks are playing the San Diego Padres.
The Diamondbacks don't control their own destiny, but they do own the tiebreaker over the Phillies. Here are the two scenarios that result in the Diamondbacks making the postseason:
- Diamondbacks go 2-1 against the Padres AND Phillies go 0-3 against the Rays
- Diamondbacks go 3-0 against the Padres AND the Phillies go 1-2 against the Rays
Essentially, the Diamondbacks need to win two more games than the Phillies this weekend.
The Phillies are playing the Rays, who have nothing to play for. They are locked into the No. 1 seed in the American League. The Diamondbacks are playing the Padres who are playing for seeding in the National League Wild Card, hoping to secure a home series.