San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander (35) watches from the dugout after pitching 7 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Giants Get Help in NL Wild Card Race Before Key Dodgers Showdown

Originally posted on San Francisco Giants on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 10:37 PM ET

The San Francisco Giants snapped their four-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

The Giants (76-76) received a huge start from Justin Verlander, who threw seven innings of shutout baseball. He gave up three hits, two walks and struck out three. But he got a no-decision as neither team scored until the 11th inning. The Giants exploded for five runs in the top half of the frame.

Jerar Encarnacion set off the scoring with a single. Christian Koss doubled home two runs, followed by a Grant McCray RBI sacrifice fly and a Rafael Devers RBI single. The Diamondbacks were only able to answer with one run.

The odds are still long for the Giants to reach the playoffs. The Chicago Cubs have one of the Natonal League wild card berths on lock down and two remain up for grabs. San Francisco just hopes to stay in the hunt as long as possible.

Giants Locked in Crowded Playoff Race

#SFGiants take the lead in the 11th! pic.twitter.com/7tgkpgN1tz
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 17, 2025

The Giants enter Thursday’s huge four-game series with the Dodgers in a crowded race for the final NL wild card berth, which is led by the New York Mets, who lost to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. The Mets still hold the final berth, but their lead took a hit.

New York is now 1.5 games ahead of the Diamondbacks for the final wild card berth. After that, both the Cincinnati Reds and the Giants are two games back of that berth.

With San Diego five games ahead of New York, the only wild card berth that is realistically up for grabs is the final berth. That puts the Giants, the Diamondbacks and the Reds in pursuit of the Mets. This race could go down to the wire. But the Giants will have to avoid what they did last weekend against the Dodgers — walking away with a series loss.

The Giants are trying to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, when it won the NL West. San Francisco last claimed a wild card berth in 2016 and last won a World Series in 2014.