The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres came out of the MLB All-Star break red-hot to not only push themselves atop the National League Wild Card race but challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers atop the NL West standings.

The Dodgers clinched the NL West in Thursday’s win over the Padres, and Arizona is clinging to hold the third and final NL Wild Card spot.

Over 25 games to begin the second half of the schedule, the D-backs and Padres held the league’s two best records.

Arizona notably went 20-5 through its first eight series of the post-All-Star break schedule, leading MLB in batting average and slugging.

Down the stretch of the season, four teams separated from the pack to contend for three Wild Card spots.

Here’s a look at the NL Wild Card race as the D-backs attempt to cling to playoff positioning while the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves.

Diamondbacks standings in the NL Wild Card race

* The Mets and Braves own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the D-backs. There is no longer a Game 163 to break ties in the standings.

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The D-backs fell behind 4-0, and starter Merrill Kelly needed 31 pitches to record three outs.

Four in the first 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qqYe3TtOQ7

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 28, 2024

Padres slugger Manny Machado hit a sharp one-hopper to Marte at second base, and the veteran infielder whiffed while trying to pick it. The first run of the game scored.

A Jackson Merrill RBI single brought D-backs manager Torey Lovullo out of the dugout to talk to his players on the mound.

The meeting apparently worked, as Kelly induced a grounder to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo for a potential inning-ending double play. But Marte struggled to make the turn and threw the relay over first baseman Christian Walker and out of play.

Another run scored on the error, and San Diego picked up one more on a David Peralta single.

The Diamondbacks, however, responded, as Corbin Carroll blasted a solo shot to lead off the bottom half against Yu Darvish. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. nearly tied the game with a deep fly ball to left, but he settled for a sacrifice fly.

Arizona cut the deficit, and may have shifted the momentum as Kelly threw a 1-2-3 second inning.

Catch the rest of the game on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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After a sucker-punch of a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday and dropping two-of-three against the San Francisco Giants this week, the Arizona Diamondbacks are hanging on by a thread in the NL postseason race.

Arizona currently holds the third NL Wild Card spot, leading the Atlanta Braves by just one game. The New York Mets hold the second spot, but only two of the three will see October.

With the Mets and Braves getting the final two games of their series postponed to Monday, it’s possible the Diamondbacks won’t know their fate until Monday night.

“We’re going wait and see what happens on Monday, but this team is miraculous, the way they bounce back and get together, believe in one another,” Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Thursday. “These guys are looking like themselves and we need them down the stretch to be themselves.”

Until then, the Diamondbacks now shift all their attention to the San Diego Padres, a team that’s already clinched an NL Wild Card spot.

The Padres were challenging the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West title, but the Padres dropped two-of-three to the Dodgers in their series that concluded on Thursday, granting the Dodgers their 11th division title in 12 years.

A magic number for the Diamondbacks to clinch a postseason spot is three, meaning if the Diamondbacks sweep the Padres this weekend, they’re in.

But the Padres will pose no easy task for Arizona, as the Diamondbacks look to reach the postseason in back-to-back seasons since 2001-02.

“We hope that everybody is coming in here playing for something because that’s when our team steps up,” Hall said. “But we’re a better team than we were last year and the record reflects that.”

Diamondbacks-Padres probable starters

Friday: Arizona RHP Merrill Kelly (5-0, 3.71) vs. San Diego RHP Yu Darvish (6-3, 3.18)

Saturday: Arizona TBD vs. San Diego TBD

Sunday: Arizona TBD vs. San Diego TBD

Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly will take the mound in the series opener on Friday, opposing Padres right-hander Yu Darvish.

Kelly has experienced leg cramping three times this season, most recently in his last start against the Brewers. When healthy, Kelly has posted a 3.71 ERA in 12 starts this season. Darvish, who’s dealt with injuries of his own in 2024, has recorded a 3.18 ERA in 15 starts this season.

The probables for Saturday and Sunday have yet to be announced. Manager Torey Lovullo said Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez could start those games but nothing has been finalized yet.

“There’s a lot that goes into that. We got see how we match up with the Padres and we got to win baseball games,” Lovullo said. “If the series goes in a very positive way, we may make some adjustments to set up for the postseason.

“There’s a lot of contingency based on the next two days. Your starting point could be in line and  (we) make some adjustments. It could be Kelly, E-Rod, Pfaadt but we haven’t made that firm. Where it goes from today on is very fluid.”

Lovullo said on Arizona Sports Burns & Gambo Friday that Ryne Nelson, who was activated off the injured list Thursday, will likely be used as a reliever for this weekend’s series.

“He’s got a certain pitch count that we spit out and we feel comfortable putting him in that range,” Lovullo. “Not quite enough for him be to be a starter yet. We know if the season advances beyond these next three days, and we’re very hopeful for that and energized for that, that we might shuffle it a little bit and put him back in the starting rotation.

“For right now, we most likely will see him coming out of the bullpen but I want to use every bullet I can. I want to use every one of his quality pitches that I possibly can. I remember not so long ago, 16 days ago, he was one our best pitchers and one of the best pitchers in the National League, so I want to use that to the best of our availability.”

Lovullo did not rule out using Zac Gallen in some capacity if needed for this weekend’s series. Gallen last pitched on Wednesday, throwing six innings with one run on two hits and striking out 11 batters in the D-backs 8-2 win vs. the San Francisco Giants.

“I know Zac. I know if it comes to the last day, he’s going to be like ‘let me get in and throw some fireballs at these guys,'” Lovullo said. “I know how he is and know how he’s wired. If we get down into that position, it’s going to be all hands on deck and that’s where are at.

“That’s our mentality. We are all in, fighting this together and we all want to go out and do just a little bit more for one another. Not going outside of our comfort zone but to just to be there and present and engaged for one another, and I know Zac fits into that mold for sure.

How to watch Diamondbacks-Padres

All three games will be televised on DBACKS.TV through channel 34 on Cox.

The whole series will be available on the Arizona Sports app,98.7 and ArizonaSports.com.

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While the Utah Hockey Club will be available in the state of Arizona via a streaming subscription, the Vegas Golden Knights will begin airing for the 2024-25 season over the air in Phoenix and Tucson.

The Golden Knights and Scripps Sports on Thursday announced that the team will broadcast 55 games on Arizona 61 in Phoenix and Arizona 58 in Tucson. Vegas’ NHL team will also be available via a streaming platform, KnightTime+.

“We are thrilled to expand the Realm of fans who can watch our local broadcast and appreciate our partners at Scripps Sports for helping make this a reality,” Golden Knights president and CEO Kerry Bubolz said in a release. “Having our games available for free over the air, or through KnightTime+, is a win for hockey fans in Arizona.”

The full Golden Knights schedule and how to find channels over TV, cable and streaming platforms are below.

Vegas Golden Knights 2024-25 TV and streaming schedule in Arizona

Wed., Oct. 9 vs. Colorado – TNT, MAX
Fri., Oct. 11 vs. St. Louis – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sun., Oct. 13 vs. Anaheim – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., Oct. 15 at Washington – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Thurs., Oct. 17 at Tampa Bay – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., Oct. 19 at Florida – Antenna TV, KnightTime+
Tue., Oct. 22 vs. Los Angeles – ESPN, ESPN+
Fri., Oct. 25 vs. Ottawa – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., Oct. 26 vs. San Jose – Antenna TV, KnightTime+
Mon., Oct. 28 vs. Calgary – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Wed., Oct. 30 vs. Los Angeles – TNT, truTV, MAX
Sat., Nov. 2 vs. Utah – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Wed., Nov. 6 at Edmonton – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Fri., Nov. 8 at Seattle – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Mon., Nov. 11 vs. Carolina – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Wed., Nov. 13 at Anaheim – KnightTime+
Fri., Nov. 15 at Utah – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sun., Nov. 17 vs. Washington – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Wed., Nov. 20 at Toronto – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Thurs., Nov. 21 at Ottawa – Antenna TV, KnightTime+
Sat., Nov. 23 at Montreal – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Mon., Nov. 25 at Philadelphia – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Wed., Nov. 27 at Colorado – TNT, MAX
Fri., Nov. 29 vs. Winnipeg – KnightTime+
Sat., Nov. 30 vs. Utah – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., Dec. 3 vs. Edmonton – ESPN+, Hulu
Wed., Dec. 4 at Anaheim – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Fri., Dec. 6 vs. Dallas – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Thurs., Dec. 12 at Winnipeg – KnightTime+
Sat., Dec. 14 at Edmonton – Antenna TV, KnightTime+
Sun., Dec. 15 at Minnesota – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Thurs., Dec. 19 vs. Vancouver – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., Dec. 21 vs. Seattle – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Mon., Dec. 23 vs. Anaheim – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Fri., Dec. 27 at San Jose – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sun., Dec. 29 vs. Calgary – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., Dec. 31 vs. Montreal – KnightTime+
Thurs., Jan. 2 vs. Philadelphia – KnightTime+
Sat., Jan. 4 vs. Buffalo – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., Jan. 7 at San Jose – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Thurs., Jan. 9 vs. NY Islanders – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., Jan. 11 vs. NY Rangers – KnightTime+
Sun., Jan. 12 vs. Minnesota – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., Jan. 14 at Nashville – KnightTime+
Fri., Jan. 17 at Carolina – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., Jan 18 at Chicago – KnightTime+
Mon., Jan. 20 vs. St. Louis – Antenna TV, KnightTime+
Thurs., Jan. 23 at St. Louis – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Fri., Jan. 24 at Dallas – ESPN
Sun., Jan. 26 vs. Florida – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., Jan. 28 vs. Dallas – ESPN+, Hulu
Thurs., Jan. 30 vs. Columbus – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sun., Feb. 2 at NY Rangers – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., Feb. 4 at NY Islanders – KnightTime+
Thurs., Feb. 6 at New Jersey – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., Feb. 8 at Boston – ABC, ESPN+
Sat., Feb. 22 vs. Vancouver – KnightTime+
Mon., Feb. 24 at Los Angeles – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Thurs., Feb. 27 vs. Chicago – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sun., March 2 vs. New Jersey – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Wed., March 5 vs. Toronto – TNT, truTV, MAX
Fri., March 7 vs. Pittsburgh – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sun., March 9 vs. Los Angeles – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., March 11 at Pittsburgh – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Thurs., March 13 at Columbus – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., March 15 at Buffalo – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sun., March 16 at Detroit – KnightTime+
Thurs., March 20 vs. Boston – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., March 22 vs. Detroit – ABC, ESPN+
Sun., March 23 vs. Tampa Bay – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., March 25 at Minnesota – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Fri., March 28 at Chicago – KnightTime+
Sat., March 29 at Nashville – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Tue., April 1 vs. Edmonton – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Thurs., April 3 vs. Winnipeg – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., April 5 at Calgary – KnightTime+
Sun., April 6 at Vancouver – ESPN
Tue., April 8 at Colorado – ESPN
Thurs., April 10 vs. Seattle – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Sat., April 12 vs. Nashville – KnightTime+
Tue., April 15 at Calgary – Arizona 61/Arizona 58, KnightTime+
Wed., April 16 at Vancouver – TNT, truTV, MAX

Arizona 61, Arizona 58 and Antenna TV can be found on the following platforms:

Arizona 61 (Phoenix)

Arizona 58 (Tucson)

Antenna TV (Phoenix)

Antenna TV (Tucson)

Over the air

Channel 61.1

Channel 58.1

Channel 15.2

Channel 9.3

Cox Cable

Channel 6

Channel 18

Channel 95

Channel 86

Comcast Cable

Channel 8

DirecTV

Channel 61

Channel 58

DISH Network

Channel 58

Streaming

Fubo

Fubo (coming soon)

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The Arizona Cardinals ruled out tight end Trey McBride and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga against the Washington Commanders, head coach Jonathan Gannon said Friday before the official injury report was released.

McBride is still in concussion protocol following his collision with Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch on Sunday.

Tonga did not practice this week with a knee injury.

Right tackle Kelvin Beachum and backup guard Isaiah Adams are questionable but were limited in practice Friday.

Receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and safety Budda Baker were both limited in practice on Wednesday with quad injuries, but the latter was a full participant on Thursday. Harrison got the full-go upgrade on Friday.

For the Commanders, running back Austin Ekeler, receiver Jamison Crowder and lineman Clelin Ferrell have been ruled out for Week 4 with no other players in question for the game.

Arizona Cardinals injury report vs. Washington Commanders – Week 4

Here is the Commanders’ injury report:

Washington Commanders injury report

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Fans who want to attend the Oct. 27 exhibition in Durham, North Carolina, can watch Hurley return to Cameron Indoor Stadium with selective Sun Angel Collective packages that cost from $7,500 to $20,000 per person.

And the packages might be appealing to both Arizona State and Duke fans.

ASU offers Duke, Arizona State fans Bobby Hurley packages to benefit NIL

The Sun Devil Insider package offers two fans an “ultimate behind-the-scenes college basketball experience” with premium travel and hotel accommodations over three days, a film session with Hurley and the ASU-Duke game. It’ll only cost a pair $25,000.

In total, it includes a round-trip package for two, game tickets, accommodations for all on-the-ground events in Durham and Tempe and access to a marquee event with former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

For $11,000, the Hurley Returns to Cameron package offers the same amenities as the Sun Devil Insider but is more catered toward local Duke fans. It will “make you feel like you’re reliving some of Duke’s greatest basketball moments.”

For those seeking a VIP trip experience, the Legend Package offers all of the premium benefits of the Sun Devil Insider Package plus a private golf foursome with Hurley. That tops out at $20,000 for an individual.

All proceeds raised from the packages will directly support ASU men’s basketball NIL.

Full itinerary (access depends on package)

Oct. 24

• Attend practice at Weatherup Center
• Chalk Talk / Film session w/ Coach Hurley

Oct. 25

• Travel with the Sun Devils to Durham (charter airline)
• Check in at the JB Duke Hotel
• Sparkling Hour

Oct. 26

• Golf at Washington Duke Golf Club (Legends Package Only)
• Brunch at Cameron Stadium
• Tour / Practice / Photo Moment
• Sparkling Hour
• Reception with Coach Hurley + Coach K @ Washington Duke

Oct. 27

• Gameday Brunch (Coach Hurley host)
• Pre-game Sparkling Hour
• ASU team welcome
• ASU vs. Duke Exhibition Game (6:30 PM)
• Return to Phoenix (charter airline)

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All three will be competing for a roster spot when camp begins on Oct. 1.

Kaminsky hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2022-23 season, and now is returning to the Suns, where he played from 2019-22.

The 31-year-old averaged 8.2 points on 46.8% shooting and 4.3 rebounds in three seasons with the Suns, playing just nine games in his final season with the team as he dealt with a right knee injury before being waived late in the regular season.

Kaminsky played with the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks in the 2022-23 season, averaging 2.5 points in 36 total games between the two teams. He played in Serbia last season.

Diakite has played in four NBA seasons, appearing in 55 games across five teams after going undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft. He was a member of the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks team coached by Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer. Diakite averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 18 NBA G League games with the Westchester Knicks and the Austin Spurs last season.

Wood played for the Atlanta Hawks at NBA 2K25 Summer League 2024 this past July. During his college career, where he played with Washington, the University of Portland, UNLV and Tulane, Wood averaged 10.5 points on 44.1% shooting and 4.8 rebounds in 157 total games.

Phoenix opens the 2024-25 regular season on Oct. 23 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

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The D-backs optioned pitchers Yilber Diaz and Blake Walston to Triple-A following Wednesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.

Nelson had been on the injured list since Sept. 14 with right shoulder inflammation.

The Diamondbacks will now have decisions to make for who will start in the rotation ahead of their final regular season series against the San Diego Padres. Merrill Kelly is scheduled to pitch Friday’s game with Saturday and Sunday’s starters yet to be announced.

Ryne Nelson is back for the Diamondbacks

Nelson rejoins the club as the team remains one game ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the final Wild Card spot in the National League with three games remaining in the regular season.

Nelson threw a 16-pitch bullpen on Saturday. He had been one of Arizona’s most consistent starter before going on the IL, owning a 3.16 ERA in 79.1 frames over that stretch.

Alek Thomas returns to the majors

Thomas was activated by the Reno Aces on Sept. 17 after missing over a month due a oblique injury. 

Thomas was sent down to Reno on Aug. 13, and a week later was placed on the injured list. He had five hits at the plate in his three games for the Aces before getting injured.

The D-backs originally optioned Thomas after his bat struggled to pick up rhythm across a month-long period in his return from a hamstring injury that had multiple setbacks. In 37 games, Thomas was batting .191 with three home runs and 17 RBIs.

Thomas returns as he fights for playing time in a crowded outfield of Jake McCarthy, Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Randal Grichuk and Pavin Smith, the latter having been of the D-backs better hitters as of late, hitting .310 with six home runs and 19 RBIs in the month of September.

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In terms of big-time men’s basketball matchups for fans near Tempe, the Sun Devils get Desert Financial Arena home games against Baylor, Houston and Texas Tech.

ASU notably does not get to host the blueblood of the Big 12, Kansas, though the Sun Devils visit Lawrence on Jan. 8.

The Sun Devils have had to get used to roster overhauls on a year-to-year basis, but this one comes with some impressive freshmen Hurley has rarely been able to acquire.

Center Jayden Quaintance, who just turned 17 years old in July, is a top-10 prospect in the incoming class and was previously committed to Kentucky before coach John Calipari left for Arkansas. Guard Joson Sanon is a top-25 freshman and top-five shooting guard in the class. He was previously committed to Arizona before Caleb Love returned to school after testing NBA waters.

Both are expected to contribute immediately with the chance to start. Freshman wing Amier Ali could contribute off the bench with solid shot-making at a 6-foot-8 frame.

ASU returns just two players from the 2023-24 rotation in guard Adam Miller and center Shawn Phillips Jr. Brycen Long and Bobby Hurley also return.

Several potential impact transfers were brought in, including Basheer Jihad (Ball State), BJ Freeman (UW-Milwaukee), Alston Mason (Missouri State) and Brandon Gardner (USC). Hurley has said he thinks the transfers’ games could translate immediately from lower levels to the more grueling demands of the Big 12.

Finally, point guard Austin Nunez returns to Tempe following a one-year stint at Ole Miss. He was a freshman Sun Devil in 2022-23.

Arizona State men’s basketball Big 12 schedule for 2024-25

Tuesday, December 31

Arizona State at BYU

Saturday, January 4

Colorado at Arizona State

Wednesday, January 8

Arizona State at Kansas

Saturday, January 11

Baylor at Arizona State

Tuesday, January 14

UCF at Arizona State

Saturday, January 18 

Arizona State at Cincinnati

Tuesday, January 21

Arizona State at West Virginia

Saturday, January 25

Iowa State at Arizona State

Tuesday, January 28

Arizona State at Colorado

Saturday, February 1

Arizona at Arizona State

Tuesday, February 4

Kansas State at Arizona State

Sunday, February 9

Arizona State at Oklahoma State

Wednesday, February 12

Arizona State at Texas Tech

Saturday, February 15

TCU at Arizona State

Tuesday, February 18

Houston at Arizona State

Sunday, February 23 

Arizona State at Kansas State

Wednesday, February 26

BYU at Arizona State

Saturday, March 1

Arizona State at Utah

Tuesday, March 4

Arizona State at Arizona

Saturday, March 8

Texas Tech at Arizona State

Arizona State women’s basketball Big 12 schedule for 2024-25

Saturday, December 21
Arizona State at Utah

Wednesday, January 1
Texas Tech at Arizona State

Saturday, January 4
Arizona State at Houston

Wednesday, January 8
Iowa State at Arizona State

Saturday, January 11
Baylor at Arizona State

Wednesday, January 15
Colorado at West Virginia

Thursday, January 16
Arizona State at Kansas

Sunday, January 19
Arizona State at K-State

Wednesday, January 22
West Virginia at Arizona State

Saturday, January 25
Cincinnati at Arizona State

Wednesday, January 29
Arizona State at Oklahoma State

Saturday, February 1
BYU at Arizona State

Saturday, February 8
Arizona State at Arizona

Wednesday, February 12
Arizona State at UCF

Saturday, February 15
Utah at Arizona State

Wednesday, February 19
TCU at Arizona State

Saturday, February 22
Arizona State at BYU

Wednesday, February 26
Arizona State at Colorado

Saturday, March 1
Arizona at Arizona State

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This comes days after Barton was elevated from the practice squad and made his first NFL start in the team’s 20-13 home loss to the Detroit Lions, where he suffered a toe injury in the fourth quarter and had to exit the game.

Prior to Sunday, Barton had 10 NFL appearances, including two for the Cardinals since 2023. He was a seventh-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2019.

Pleasants, who spent the offseason and preseason with the Cardinals, was brought back to replace Barton. He was released in August amid the preseason roster cutdown to 53 players.

Since entering the league in 2020, he’s appeared in two games: one with the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and one with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023.

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PHOENIX — The final two games of the New York Mets at Atlanta Braves series Wednesday and Thursday, critical to the National League Wild Card race in the final week of the season, have been postponed with storm weather bearing down.

The two games will be rescheduled for a Monday traditional doubleheader starting at 10:10 a.m., the day after the regular season ends and before the Wild Card Series begins.

With this development, it is possible, if not likely, the Arizona Diamondbacks won’t know whether they make the postseason until Monday night, after their season finale against the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

The D-backs (87-71), Mets (87-70) and Braves (86-71) are all in a battle for the final two Wild Card spots, separated by one game.

pic.twitter.com/0m81QiZzdN

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) September 25, 2024

Arizona does not own the tiebreaker against either the Mets or the Braves and needs to be at least one game ahead of either NL East club to clinch. The D-backs control their own destiny for four games left, considering the Braves and Mets cannot both win out.

The Mets have three games at the NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend, while the Braves are scheduled to host the AL Wild Card-contending Kansas City Royals starting Friday.

The Padres have the top Wild Card spot nearly locked up at 91-66, but they are in a race for the NL West two games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Clearly we’re aware of it, and it doesn’t make a difference to me,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.

“I can honestly say I’m so concerned about what we’re able to do in our dugout and in our clubhouse to go out and perform the best way we know how. And that’s what I continue to talk to these guys about, put it on us, take care of what we do best and control what we can control. If it gets to that point on Monday, of course we’re going to be watching, but we’ve got four games to go and we just got to continue to play hungry baseball.”

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, if the D-backs are are eliminated before Monday, it will be at commissioner Rob Manfred’s discretion to play the doubleheader for seeding.

Atlanta is already in a Tropical Storm Warning with rain and wind as Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall Thursday night in Florida.

The Braves and Mets both had this past Monday off with a hurricane in the upcoming forecast.

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The Cardinals signed Naquan Jones to the roster to fill the void with Justin Jones placed on injured reserve. The 26-year-old Naquan Jones played in four games for Arizona last season and was signed off the Miami Dolphins practice squad.

Justin Jones was Arizona’s top free-agent addition this offseason as the team attempted to shore up its depth on the defensive line.

He reportedly inked a three-year, $30.1 million deal with $19.8 million of that guaranteed.

The veteran recorded one tackle before going down Sunday, which brought his tackle tally to four on the year. He had a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.

The now-28-year-old started every game for the Bears the past two seasons, a reason the Cardinals pursued he and fellow free agent Bilal Nichols. Jones posted 4.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 17 QB hits in 2023.

Through three weeks with Arizona, Jones was the most-used defensive lineman with 100 snaps (54.5% of those available).

What is the Cardinals’ defensive line depth chart look like after Justin Jones’ injury?

With starting spots up for grabs, Arizona signed Jones and Nichols and also drafted the more versatile Darius Robinson in the first round.

Robinson injured his calf before the start of the season, and the team entered Week 1 with the veterans starting along with nose tackle Roy Lopez.

Robinson will miss a minimum of one more game on Sunday at home against the Washington Commanders. He is eligible to return off injured reserve for an Oct. 6 game at the San Francisco 49ers.

That leaves Nichols, L.J. Collier and second-year pro Dante Stills to work at defensive tackle this coming week. Lopez and Khyiris Tonga have played at nose tackle, though the latter suffered a knee injury in the Detroit game.

Stills, who was limited throughout the last week of practice with a shoulder injury, was a healthy scratch in Week 2 in a win over the Los Angeles Rams.

He was quiet in 25 snaps in Week 1 but was busy against the Lions on Sunday, posting six tackles, including a sack.

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In the top of the second inning, D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt allowed a solo homer and then two Giants to reach base before Mike Yastrzemski hit a deep fly ball to right-center.

Carroll tracked it well, called off center fielder Jake McCarthy and timed his jump to take away what would have been an early 4-0 San Francisco advantage.

Corbin Carroll brings back a 3-run homer! 😱 pic.twitter.com/Xs9YmqZxIy

— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2024

The D-backs, however, could not build off Carroll’s incredible play.

The next inning, San Francisco again got two runners on quickly against Pfaadt and this time a deep fly ball by Michael Conforto would be a three-run homer to get back that 4-0 lead Carroll took away. After a walk and a groundout, Arizona pulled Pfaadt after just 2.2 innings pitched. Reliever Blake Walston then gave up his own three-run homer to make it 7-0 Giants.

San Francisco added an additional run in the fourth, two more in the fifth an another in the eighth.

The D-backs only mustered six hits and two walks on offense. They were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

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Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall last week explained to Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta why discussions with Maricopa County have turned contentious regarding lease extension talks for the team at the county-owned Chase Field.

That has since inspired more conversations about how the D-backs could potentially play baseball elsewhere in the state.

So what would the D-backs want out of a new stadium?

Although Hall said it’s still the team’s goal to stay at its current downtown Phoenix home, he told KTAR News’ 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos about the theoretical on Monday.

Not only did it sound like the D-backs would change a lot if they were building from the ground up, but it sounded like something they have thought a lot about already.

“Capacity alone. … We’re way too large,” Hall said. “You probably want to be around 36-to-38 thousand, that’s one thing. We’re always going to want to have some sort of a roof here because it is so hot. We want to make sure it’s retractable. We got beautiful months in April and May and you get into June a little bit and you hope in September you can. Aside from that, today it’s premium areas and it’s also a lot of standing room areas. Because fans engage differently, they take in entertainment differently. Some want to come and stand, they want to be in a bar — they don’t necessarily want to have 50,000 fixed seats like you used to see in the old ballparks.

“(In) addition to that, you want to have 365 days a year of activation. You want to have hotels, you want to have retail, you want to have restaurants, so I think you’ll see that now where it’s not just about the ball games. And now, you have more and more non-baseball events as well. It all works together.”

What does a dream ballpark look like for Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall?

FULL SEGMENT: https://t.co/00VXFmSJeM pic.twitter.com/DDgy9h64YB

— Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on KTAR News 92.3 (@OutspokenKTAR) September 24, 2024

Some of what Hall is referencing has an example right down the street with what Footprint Center has changed in its recent renovations.

A large sports bar owns the center of the main pavilion, while multiple bars and club areas in view of the court exist on corners of the building.

There’s also other areas like a food court in the upper deck that take on that inspiration.

Who is in charge of Chase Field stadium maintenance: The Diamondbacks or Maricopa County?

The Diamondbacks have maintenance and operating rights for Chase Field even though the county owns it, helping the team pay for updates through non-baseball events they book.

But Hall admitted there is sometimes a gray area about whether the team or county is in charge of renovations, given the project.

“If you have to completely overhaul the HVAC system, which is a very antiquated system, it’s this cold-chill system that’s really air-conditioning many, many if not most of the buildings downtown. If that needs to be replaced, whose (project and cost) is that?” Hall said. “What is maintenance? Is maintenance fixing it or making sure it’s cool?

“We can still do a better job improving it … we’re tinkering, we’re finding out ways. That’s the confusion.”

This offseason, Hall said the team is expecting to fix the retractable roof that cannot be opened or closed with fans in the building.

Hall said the organization has identified needs that would amount to somewhere close to a half-billion dollars in renovations.

The D-backs’ lease agreement with the county ends in 2027. In a letter to Maricopa County leaders, he previously called a counteroffer from the county “extremely offensive” because it asked for about $200 million of a commitment before being allowed to zone for mixed-use of hotels, retail and restaurants.

“It’s a tough situation, really for both,” Hall said. “Not just for us, but for (the county) too. Not sure they want to be in the business of owning a stadium. They don’t have a capability to invest a lot of money in the stadium. They can’t just go out and raise sales taxes to be here. We are trying to get creative.”

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Little and E.J. Liddell were waived by Phoenix in August, opening a roster spot as the Suns eyed salary cap relief.

Charania reports the Suns stretched Little’s three years and $22 million left on his contract. That means the contract will be paid over twice the number of years left on the deal, plus one, thinning the amount owed.

While it moves millions to the salary cap table through the 2030-31 season, taking those small amounts off the books will save around $40 million in tax penalties over the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons as the Suns navigate the second apron, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger.

Little appeared in 45 games for Phoenix but struggled with a knee injury during the second half of the season.

Little averaged 3.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game with a single start. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound wing was the 25th overall pick in 2019.

The Suns acquired him in the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade that shipped Deandre Ayton to the Trail Blazers and brought Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen to Phoenix.

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Daniels is coming off a breakout performance on Monday Night Football in a 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Daniels completed 21 of his 23 pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns.  He also ran for 39 yards and another touchdown. Washington is now 2-1 and winners of two straight.

Daniels started as a true freshman in Tempe under then-head coach Herm Edwards, posting 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions. After a pandemic-shortened 2020 sophomore year, Daniels struggled more as a junior and would enter the transfer portal. He went to the SEC and LSU, where he built off a year of adapting and learning the system to winning the Heisman Trophy last season. This got Daniels selected second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The rookie quarterback’s visit will surely inspire questions on his decision to depart Arizona State, something he did speak on in December with The Pivot Podcast.

“There was just so much uncertainty there with everybody,” Daniels said. “[Antonio Pierce] was gone, I didn’t know anything about coach Herm, so I was like, ‘I gotta go somewhere else, I gotta start fresh.’ For me I was like, man, I seen what Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, what those guys were doing on this big stage and I grew up playing against them. I was like, ‘Nah, I know I can do this.’ …

“Then LSU came knocking. And I was like, ‘Man, I can’t pass up this opportunity.’ We play in the SEC, we play in the best conference and you play on national television every week. So I was like, ‘Man, I need to show and prove that I can play and show that I can.'”

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Kansas visits ASU for a 5 p.m. MST kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 5, on ESPN2.

The Wildcats welcome the Red Raiders for an 8 p.m. MST start in Tucson. UA-Texas Tech will air on FOX.

The Sun Devils fell to 3-1 on Saturday with a loss to the Red Raiders and head into a bye week before the Jayhawks (1-3) visit. Kansas entered the season ranked No. 22 but has suffered losses to Illinois, UNLV and West Virginia since a season-opening win over Lindenwood.

The Jayhawks visit Tempe coming off a home game against TCU this coming weekend.

Arizona (2-1) is coming off a bye this week and on Saturday faces No. 10 Utah at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN.

Texas Tech hosts Cincinnati this week before a trip to Tucson for the late kickoff.

Big 12 college football schedule for Oct. 4/5 — Kansas at ASU, Texas Tech at Arizona

Friday, Oct. 4

Houston at TCU, 4:30 p.m. MST on ESPN

Saturday, Oct. 5

West Virginia at Oklahoma State, 1 p.m. MST on ESPN 2

Baylor at Iowa State, 4:30 p.m. MST on FOX

UCF at Florida, 4:45 p.m. MST on SEC Network

Kansas at Arizona State, 5 p.m. MST on ESPN 2

Texas Tech at Arizona, 8 p.m. MST on FOX

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The San Francisco Giants come to town from Monday to Wednesday before Arizona gets Thursday off and hosts the San Diego Padres for the last three games over the weekend. Arizona has won six of 10 games this year against the Giants, winning its last two series in the matchup.

The D-backs are coming off a critical series victory against the National League Central champions, taking three of four games against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. However, the D-backs were in prime position to sweep the series up 8-0 in the third inning Sunday, and the Brewers stormed back for a 10-9 win.

The Giants, meanwhile, officially fell out of the Wild Card race last week but have been hot lately, winning five of the last six games against the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals. All-Star starter Logan Webb is slated to start this week with the chance to play spoiler against a division foe.

What is the Diamondbacks’ magic number?

As of Monday morning, the D-backs and the New York Mets are tied for the second NL Wild Card spot at 87-69, although New York leads via tiebreaker.

The Atlanta Braves (85-71) are two games back and also own a tiebreaker over Arizona, while the Padres have pulled ahead to three games over the D-backs and Mets.

The Mets and Braves play each other three times starting Tuesday, so their series staggered with Arizona’s complicates matters slightly.

Arizona’s magic number of wins is four with six games to go, as it helps to have two of their Wild Card competitors matching up this week. Four wins would give Arizona 91. The only way Atlanta gets there would be to finish 6-0, which would knock out the Mets.

The earliest Arizona can clinch a postseason spot is Wednesday night with a sweep of the Giants and two losses by Atlanta.

Diamondbacks-Giants probable starters

Monday: Arizona LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-3, 5.09) vs. San Francisco RHP Hayden Birdsong (4-5, 4.74)

Tuesday: Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (10-9, 4.66) vs. San Francisco RHP Logan Webb (12-10, 3.58)

Wednesday: Arizona RHP Zac Gallen (13-6, 3.74) vs. San Francisco RHP Mason Black (1-4, 5.88)

Rodriguez and Pfaadt are coming off their best starts of the season, respectively. Rodriguez threw 6.1 innings with two earned runs and 11 strikeouts on Wednesday in Colorado, and Pfaadt followed with seven innings on one-run ball and 12 punch outs Thursday in Milwaukee. Pfaadt struck out a club-record seven straight batters.

Gallen starting on Wednesday would line him up for Game 1 of a potential Wild Card Series next week. He would not have a full four days of rest by Sunday’s regular season finale.

The D-backs will miss Giants ace left-hander Blake Snell, although they knocked out the 2023 Cy Young winner in one inning earlier this month.

That said, Webb has always been a handful for Arizona with a 2.51 ERA over 11 starts against the D-backs in his career — including seven scoreless innings in April. The right-hander has been more vulnerable than usual of late, however, with a 6.58 ERA and .306 opposing batting average over his last five starts.

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The Arizona Cardinals fell to 1-2 after a grueling loss to the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense started fast, scoring on their first possession for the third consecutive week, the longest such streak in team history to begin a season.

But while the defense stepped up in the second half, the offense could muster only three points in the final 30 minutes.

Arizona Sports hosts and reporters gave their biggest takeaways from the Cardinals’ loss:

Our reactions to Cardinals falling flat against the Lions in Week 2:

Vince Marotta, co-host of Bickley & Marotta Mornings: The Cardinals basically got a 60-minute look at what they aspire to be in a 20-13 loss to the Detroit Lions.

The visitors in Honolulu blue and silver were the more physical, aggressive team on both offense and defense. Detroit pounded the running game with David Montgomery (who was the best player on the field Sunday) and Jahmyr Gibbs, who combined for 189 yards on 39 carries.

The Detroit defense absolutely stifled the Arizona run game, holding James Conner to just 17 yards on nine carries. None of the three Cardinals running backs who got carries had a run longer than seven yards.

That forced the Arizona offense to become one-dimensional and throw more in the second half. Unfortunately the cool, comfortable and dynamic Kyler Murray we saw last Sunday against the Rams wasn’t present. Murray completed 21-of-34 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw his first interception of the season on an ill-advised deep shot to a well-covered Marvin Harrison Jr. Too many of Murray’s throws looked more like desperation heaves, and he didn’t connect on anything down the field.

The Lions left the door wide open for the Cardinals to walk through, but they couldn’t. Kudos to the defense, who pitched a second-half shutout, but this all just added up to another frustrating loss. That’s two of those this season by my count.

Dave Burns, co-host of Burns & Gambo: 32. The number of the day is 32. It’s the number of rushing yards accounted for by Cardinals running backs James Conner, Emari Demercado and Trey Benson. Kyler Murray thinks they’re versatile enough to win a game when that happens. I believe the Cardinals are capable of many things this year; beating a team as good as the Lions when their rushing attack is snuffed out like that is not one of them.

Kyler Murray — forced to throw and often forced to throw quickly — attempted more deep shots than expected with less-than-stellar results. The lack of a running game gummed everything up. A physical Lions team and playing behind a fourth right tackle in three games certainly accelerated the problem.

Because of this, the head coach and star quarterback weren’t ready to completely denounce the day. Jonathan Gannon thought his team matched the physicality of the Lions throughout the game and later told Paul Calvisi that he was enthused by the effort, the violence and the finish. Murray more than once praised the Lions as a good team and was even asked the dreaded “moral victory” question without completely dismissing it. Truthfully, the Lions were likely one of the three best teams they’ll play this year; a win here was always going to be a tough ask. The next time it happens, if the Cardinals are able to lean into their strength a little bit more, the victory won’t just be a moral one.

John Gambadoro, co-host of Burns & Gambo: I get there are no moral victories, but damn the defensive performance in the second half of this one gives me reason to believe this team is getting closer.

That Lions team is a beast with some of the most dynamic weapons in the game today — Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta — and Arizona held them scoreless in the second half, and to a total of 20 points. Detroit had the ball seven times in the second half and could not put points on the board. Arizona forced four punts, had an interception, a big fourth-and-one stop by Dante Stills on Montgomery and the Lions ran the clock out on the final possession. That is a pretty damn good defensive performance.

The defense gave the offense every opportunity to win this game, but they could not do it. After having a perfect passer rating last week, Kyler Murray had a very subpar performance at home in this one. He threw for just 207 yards on 21-of-34 passing. He missed receivers with underthrown passes, overthrown passes and never really got into a rhythm. He had one touchdown pass and one interception. In the second half, Arizona’s possessions went: end zone interception, punt, turnover on downs, punt, turnover on downs, punt, field goal. So seven possessions resulted in three points with three punts.

Can’t say Arizona didn’t have their chances, but we can be encouraged by the defense and how they kept this team in the game. Arizona is now 0-2 in games decided by one score or less. They will be a contending playoff team when they start winning more of those games than they lose.

Kellan Olson, co-host of Arizona Sports at Night: The Arizona Cardinals are going to learn there are levels to this. There is a lot to like about not just the long-term outlook but even the short term as well. With that said, they are not sneaking up on anyone anymore. All those big wins against marquee competition last year were at the same time meaningful and also occurred in a totally different context compared to this year.

Games like Sunday will come down to just a few plays, as it is in any sport with two good teams facing off. The two-minute warning fiasco, Kyler Murray’s underthrow on his interception, the overturned successful fourth-down conversion and Murray’s missed throw high to Marvin Harrison Jr. on third down come to mind. To be fair, and the reason to be optimistic coming out of this loss, is that Arizona had its own plays like this too. Dennis Gardeck’s interception and its own fourth-down stop to answer the previous stop was big-time stuff from the defense.

Two teams mirroring identities in a lot of ways ultimately was swung by the other having the experience edge. Detroit started the game with a 13 personnel package that set the tone for who was going to be the more physical squad winning the game up front, where we all knew this one would be determined.

James Conner had one carry for at least five yards while the Lions’ two-headed monster in the backfield had FOURTEEN. Arizona’s passing attack is built off establishing the run. 50% of the Cardinals’ pass attempts in Week 2 were off play action. Can’t get to step two without step one. And that means Murray has to be pretty darn good to overcome that. He was not.

The other bright light here was the defense, especially the secondary against its first real test of talented skill players. While Sam LaPorta did deal with injuries, this was not an unstoppable day for Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jameson Williams had just one catch. And as a total unit, Detroit should have put this game away at some point around late in the third quarter because of the Cardinals’ ineptitude offensively, but the defense gave them more than enough chances to make it a game again.

It was just a really good football team that played solid enough to win on the road. Nothing hurt. Take care of business against the Commanders, and a 2-2 start is more than OK.

Mitch Vareldzis, co-host of Arizona Sports at Night: The magic of the win over the Rams appears to have disappeared. It’s difficult to replicate the success of a 40+ point performance, or a 30+ point performance for that matter. The Saints made an example of that today. There were things I liked, though they didn’t lead to a win.

Kyler Murray looked patient in the pocket and went through his progressions before deciding to scramble and bail. The defense held firm after back-to-back touchdown drives for the Lions. And if not for a bizarre ruling by the referees, they would have had multiple takeaways and a score.

What I did not like, however, was that the running game was limited to “Murray Magic,” which is not a winning formula. James Conner was doing so poorly they tried to lead a drive with Trey Benson to some moderate success before switching to a full pass attack.

That’s two or three games now where the running game was subpar. To use a Wolf-ism, “One is a point, two is a trend, three is a pattern.” I anticipate a bounce-back next week against the Commanders, whose defense is one of the worst in the league, especially with them on a short week. Plus, it’s an opportunity to exploit the Kliff Kingsbury offense for what it is and further defend the decision to fire him one year into a five-year contract extension.

So if you take any consolation from today’s loss, the Cardinals didn’t embarrass themselves, and the black helmets continue to look beautiful.

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A hard collision between Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch late in a Week 3 matchup forced both to be evaluated for concussions.

McBride had caught a short pass and braced for contact by lowering his head and hitting into Branch’s helmet.

Terrifying play on this collision with Brian Branch and Trey McBride. pic.twitter.com/Ccf5aiOkkZ

— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) September 22, 2024

It was the third catch of the day for McBride, who finished with 25 yards.

Branch had the biggest day of any Detroit defender with nine tackles, one tackle for loss and two passes defensed.

Injuries mounted for the Cardinals on Sunday, as two defensive linemen and Arizona’s third-string right tackle all suffered injuries prior to McBride’s collision.

If McBride has to miss any time, the Cardinals will likely look to second-year man Elijah Higgins, who caught his second career touchdown in a Week 2 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Second-round rookie Tip Reiman, who does not yet have a catch, would be next in line on the depth chart.

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