After Merrill Kelly struggled in the series opener, resulting in a 5-3 loss, Eduardo Rodriguez will get the start in Game 2 for the Arizona Diamondbacks. For the first time in over two months, the D-backs find themselves outside of a postseason spot, as the Atlanta Braves won on Friday to move ahead in the standings.
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The Diamondbacks have lost three of Rodriguez’s last four starts, and the left-hander has posted a 5.56 ERA over nine games this season. However, there is some reason for optimism—Rodriguez’s only career start against the Padres came in 2019, when he tossed seven shutout innings.
The silver lining for Arizona is that with the Padres’ win on Friday and the New York Mets’ loss, San Diego no longer has anything at stake. While the Padres will still be looking to keep the D-backs out of playoff contention, they may opt to rest some of their regular starters. Regardless of the outcome, San Diego has secured the #1 Wild Card spot and home-field advantage for the Wild Card round.
For the Diamondbacks to clinch a postseason spot this weekend, they must win both remaining games and have either the Mets or Braves lose one of their next two. This scenario would allow Arizona to lock in a playoff berth before the Braves and Mets play a doubleheader on Monday.