Arizona Diamondbacks Shock MLB With Blockbuster Trade: What It Means for the 2025 Season

The Arizona Diamondbacks are suddenly back in the thick of the National League Wild Card race, and tonight’s rubber match against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field could determine who controls the final postseason berth. Arizona enters Wednesday with a 76-75 record after pounding San Francisco 8-1 on Monday and falling 5-3 in extras on Tuesday. The D-backs now trail the Chicago Cubs by just 1.5 games for the third Wild Card spot while the Giants sit percentage points behind them, making this contest a genuine two-game swing in the standings. Key pitching matchup • RHP Brandon Pfaadt (10-9, 3.86 ERA) vs. LHP Kyle Harrison (7-8, 4.02 ERA) Pfaadt has held opponents to a .214 average over his last five starts and owns a 2.96 ERA at home since the All-Star break. Harrison, meanwhile, has struggled on the road (5.12 ERA) and gave up four runs in 4.1 innings the last time he faced Arizona. Players to watch Corbin Carroll: The NL Rookie of the Year front-runner homered in Monday’s opener and has reached base in 14 straight games. Ketel Marte: Batting .327 with a .943 OPS in September, Marte is slashing .412 against left-handed pitching this month. Michael Conforto: San Francisco’s veteran slugger owns a .950 OPS vs. Pfaadt in a limited sample and has three homers in his past seven games. Why this game matters A win pushes the Diamondbacks to 77-75 and gives them the head-to-head tiebreaker over San Francisco (8-5 season series). That edge could become decisive if the teams finish level on Oct. 2, because MLB no longer plays Game 163 tiebreakers. Injury updates • Arizona placed Blake Walston (elbow) on the 60-day IL; the lefty will miss the remainder of 2025 after Tommy John surgery. • Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski remains day-to-day with lower-back tightness but took batting practice Tuesday. Betting lines (via FanDuel 9/17) • Moneyline: Diamondbacks -129 | Giants +109 • Run line: Arizona -1.5 (+155) • Over/Under: 9 runs How to watch First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. MST on MLB Network, Bally Sports Arizona, and NBC Sports Bay Area. What’s next After today’s matinee, the Diamondbacks travel to Denver for a three-game set with the Rockies before returning home to face the red-hot Cubs in a series that could make or break their postseason bid. If Torey Lovullo’s club can keep the bats hot and the bullpen steady, Arizona’s unexpected October dreams may soon become reality.