Upcoming Gauntlet Will Define Diamondbacks' Season

The Arizona Diamondbacks will face three of the toughest possible teams on their schedule to close out the remainder of the 2025 regular season, and how they fare will determine whether they join the Postseason dance, or watch the action from home.

Arizona sits 1.5 games out of a playoff berth, needing to catch only the New York Mets. A series win over the San Francisco Giants earned Arizona a tiebreaker and plenty of ground in the race

The D-backs have gone 26-18 since the Trade Deadline, despite suffering heavy casualties. They've stepped up and won some massive games along the way, but the ultimate test will begin on Friday.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Enter End-of-Season Gauntlet

It begins with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies sit 29 games over .500 and clinched the NL East on Tuesday with a win over the Dodgers.

Philadelphia sports the fourth-best team OPS (.761), ironically only one spot ahead of the D-backs (.758). Slugger Kyle Schwarber, who will certainly be in the MVP conversation this year, has a .937 OPS and 53 homers.

The Phillies also have the 10th-best team ERA (3.86), with the third-best rotation ERA (3.57).

Then, the dreaded Los Angeles Dodgers come to town. Los Angeles has admittedly had a rough stretch of late, but that hasn't stopped them from sitting atop the NL West for most of the year (though the Padres are hot on their heels).

The Dodgers have the second-best team OPS (.770) and home run total (225). Their lineup is riddled with MVPs. Good luck.

Their relief ERA has been their crutch, however. The Dodgers rank 20th in bullpen ERA (4.29) and continue to struggle late in games. Their 3.87 rotation ERA ranks sixth.

After those series, Arizona will have to leave Chase Field to finish their season on the road in San Diego. For the second straight year, the D-backs will face the Padres at season's end.

Arizona did not fare well last time, losing two of three. That forced the D-backs to await the results of an ultimately-doomed doubleheader, missing the postseason by half a game.

The Padres rank below average offensively, with a 17th-best .712 OPS. They rank second to last in homers (140).

San Diego also ranks 17th in starter ERA with a 4.12 figure. But their strength lies in the bullpen, a category they've held the lead in for much of 2025.

The Padres' 3.09 relief ERA is the best in MLB, and it isn't particularly close, with a bullpen full of electric arms.

Arizona, surprisingly enough, has been one of the few teams to do damage against said bullpen, but it will still present a brutal challenge with the season on the line.

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