The Diamondbacks Officially Have a Paul Sewald Problem

Jul 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Paul Sewald against the Athletics at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Diamondbacks Officially Have a Paul Sewald Problem

Originally posted on Arizona Diamondbacks on SI
By Alex D'Agostino | Last updated Jul 28, 2026 11:03 PM ET

Add us as a preferred source on Google

The closer troubles that have been brewing for some time have finally begun to truly bite the Arizona Diamondbacks.

On Tuesday, closer Paul Sewald blew his third save of the season, and his second in three attempts. He had a three-run lead, but gave up a leadoff double, a two-run homer and a game-tying homer to knot what was once a 6-0 game at 6-6. He only managed to record one out in the ninth inning.

Right-hander Juan Morillo entered and prevented the walk-off. Kevin Ginkel allowed only the ghost runner to score in the 10th, and a heroic effort from righty Gerardo Carrillo — two scoreless, ghost runner-free innings — helped the D-backs turn a potentially brutal loss into a critical 8-7 win in 12 innings.

A win is a win. This was an important one. But beyond the final score, which ultimately favored the Diamondbacks, there is now a looming closer issue Arizona must deal with.

Diamondbacks have a Paul Sewald Problem

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No one expected Sewald, when he signed for just $1.5 million, to be a dominant back-end closer who ranked among the league's most intimidating arms. It was also relatively unexpected to see him convert 23 of his first 24 save opportunities, and 24 of his first 27.

But the simple reality is, his run-prevention efforts have been shaky for some time now, and he's clearly starting to run out of his "just enough" ninth-inning results.

Sewald now holds a 5.26 ERA and has allowed 11 home runs in 42 appearances, which officially surpasses his career high in a single season.

The Diamondbacks will likely be much slower to make a ninth-inning change than fans might hope. They expected to get A.J. Puk back sooner, but his shoulder injury has pushed his rehab timeline into uncertainty. The likes of Juan Morillo and Brandyn Garcia have displayed closer-level stuff and velocity, but neither have much ninth-inning experience.

The conversations will only get louder, but it's time for Arizona to begin exploring other options.

Gritty win helps D-backs in playoff standings

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This was not, in technicality, a must-win game, nor a must-win series. But the Diamondbacks were on the edge of making their path to the playoffs that much tougher.

The Diamondbacks previously lost two out of three games to the Pirates at Chase Field, which made a series win the only way to avoid losing the season series. A sweep, as unrealistic as that might have been to expect, would have been the only way to claim the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh.

As it stands, the D-backs are now 56-52, while the Pirates improve to 55-53. Arizona holds a one-game lead for the third and final Wild Card spot.

Of course, there is plenty of season still to go. Arizona can avoid the tiebreaker factor altogether by simply going on a positive run and winning more games than the other teams in the race.

But issue now, at least, in the short-to-medium-term, is the instability now present in the closer situation. Arizona is not without options, but they can't sustain winning if it consistently takes more than nine innings.

This article first appeared on Arizona Diamondbacks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: