With a chance to clinch a playoff spot on the line, the Arizona Diamondbacks fell silent offensively, resulting in a gut-wrenching 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Heading into this series finale, the Diamondbacks had outscored Chicago 18-4 combined between the first two games.
But today was a different story.
Besides a couple of hits from Corbin Carroll, who scored the Diamondbacks lone run, Arizona’s 2-9 batters went an embarrassing 1-25 at the plate.
The Diamondbacks did not record a single base hit following the 4th inning.
On the defensive side, it was a designated bullpen game for Arizona, so Bryce Jarvis got his first career start.
Jarvis allowed two earned runs in two innings as Andrew Vaughn took him deep with a two-run blast to give the White Sox an early lead.
Now, things get extra complicated for the Diamondbacks as they head back home for their series finale.
As the Astros arrive in town, vying for an American League playoff berth, the Diamondbacks are set to ignite the series with the best they can offer on the mound in the form of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.
While the D-backs do still hold a 1.5-game lead over the Cubs and Marlins for the 2nd wild card spot, both teams will play later today. This means the Diamondbacks lead could potentially be cut down to just a game following the conclusion of today’s MLB action.
Stay tuned for further updates on this heated National League Wild Card race.
More must-reads: