Corbin Carroll didn’t just save the Diamondbacks on Monday night. He kept their season breathing.
With one swing in the ninth inning at Chase Field, Carroll crushed a two-run homer off rookie right-hander Jack Ralston to lift Arizona past the Miami Marlins, 8-7, and preserve a postseason chase that looked like it might be slipping away. The blast, a 423-foot shot to right field that left the bat at 108.4 mph, gave the Diamondbacks their ninth walk-off win and capped a night in which they kept clawing back from deficits of 3-0, 5-3 and 7-4.
Arizona now sits within 2 ½ games of the San Diego Padres for the National League’s third and final wild-card spot with 11 games left. The D-backs are three games back in the loss column, still chasing their first playoff berth since their 2023 World Series run.
“I don’t even know where to start,’’ D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said, “other than I think really good players do really good things. They have an understanding of the situation and executing at a very high level at the most critical moments.’’
Carroll’s heroics came while he’s been fighting through a strained back that has dragged down his September at the plate, where he’s hitting just .184. He missed two games last week, had an MRI, and was moved down to fifth in the order. But when the moment arrived, he delivered anyway.
“Obviously, this is right down to crunch time ...’’ Carroll said.
“These are the games that we dream about playing at the beginning of the season. Meaningful games in September.’’
The timing matters because Arizona doesn’t have much room for error. The Padres have won eight straight, and the Diamondbacks haven’t even put together a seven-game winning streak since 2017. After the Marlins leave town, the Yankees come to Chase Field for a three-game series, and the season ends with Arizona facing San Diego at Petco Park.
Corbin Burnes, who returned to the mound because this team is still in the race, put it plainly: “It really doesn’t matter what they [the Padres] do,’’ D-backs starter Corbin Burnes said. “If we win every game, we’re in, no matter how many we get out, as long as we get within three.’’
Burnes was making his second start since coming back and his first at home since June 1, 2025. The outing had some rough edges - he gave up five runs, including two homers, in 4 2/3 innings - but it was still an improvement from his season debut in Kansas City last week. He struck out four and generated 14 swings and misses on 75 pitches, flashing the kind of stuff that made him one of the game’s elite arms even as the command wasn’t all the way there.
“I mean, everything’s under a microscope, right?’’ Burnes said.
“Usually, you get five, six [outings] in spring training to work through some stuff and build that intensity for opening day. But when you got to come back in the middle of it in September, everything’s got to be sharp and crisp.’’
A veteran scout in attendance was more blunt, saying, “He’s just not the same right now,’’ and adding, “His arm strength isn’t there yet.’’
Even so, Burnes’ presence means plenty in a clubhouse trying to survive the final stretch. He is scheduled for two more regular-season starts, including one against the Yankees this weekend.
“To be in the middle of a pennant race and you have Corbin Burnes to pencil into the lineup,’’ Lovullo said, “that’s a manager’s dream.”
Arizona also tried to add some more punch to the lineup, claiming left-handed DH Jesus Sanchez off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays for $420,000. Sanchez is set to join the team Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible if the Diamondbacks make the postseason. Still, he could matter right away, especially with Arizona scheduled to face all right-handed starters the rest of the way.
Sanchez, 28, hit .260 with eight homers in 269 at-bats before Toronto designated him for assignment last Friday. Against right-handed pitching this year, he posted a .276/.333/.448 line with a .755 OPS, while he hit just .355 against left-handers.
That split fits what Arizona has dealt with all year. The Diamondbacks are 53-58 against right-handed starters and 27-13 against left-handers. They rank third-lowest in OPS (.684) against right-handed starters and second-lowest against all right-handed pitchers.
“We’re trying to find lighting in a bottle,’’ Lovullo said. “We're trying to get some impact left-handed bats into this lineup to help us score some runs. …
“[Sanchez] can impact the baseball, we've all watched him from afar, we've seen him do some really good things. Being able to handle quality right-handed pitching was a big piece of this puzzle.’’
In Other News...
Gabriel Moreno Is Forcing A Huge Diamondbacks Decision
Gabriel Moreno has turned this season into the kind that forces a front office to think beyond the present. The Diamondbacks catcher is putting together the best year of his MLB career, with multiple personal highs, and that kind of performance has changed the conversation around his place in Arizonas long-term plans. What looked like a solid piece of the roster has started to resemble something much more important: a core player who could anchor the lineup and the defense for years.
Bob Nightengale reported that Moreno could be headed toward a contract extension that might even top the $140 million deal Will Smith signed, a number that shows just how quickly the stakes have risen. Moreno is in his second year of arbitration and remains under club control through 2028, so the Diamondbacks have time, but not much incentive to let the situation drift. The question now is whether Arizona moves early to lock in one of its most valuable young players before the price climbs even higher. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Finally Added A Needed Bat For A Playoff Push
With 11 games left and a 2.5-game gap to the National League Wild Card line, Arizona is taking one more swing at tightening up a roster that still has a path into October. The Diamondbacks claimed outfielder Jesus Sanchez off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays, adding a left-handed bat with a reputation for handling right-handed pitching and giving the club another option as it tries to squeeze out every edge in the final stretch.
Sanchez is expected to slot in as a replacement for a right-handed outfielder, which gives Arizona a clearer balance in a lineup that can always use more impact against certain matchups. It is the kind of late-season move teams make when the margin for error has all but disappeared, and for the Diamondbacks, it leaves the focus on how quickly he can fit in as the pressure around the wild-card race keeps building. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Take Another Risk On A Bat They Desperately Need
The Diamondbacks dipped into the waiver wire for another left-handed bat, claiming outfielder Jess Snchez after Toronto designated him for assignment. Arizonas offense has been searching for a late-season spark against right-handed pitching, and Snchez gives the club a look at a player with the kind of power profile that can change a game in a hurry, even if the fit comes with some roster complications.
Because Snchez is out of options, Arizona will have to clear room for him on the active roster right away. The catch is that he will not be eligible for postseason play with the Diamondbacks this year, which adds another layer to a decision that already carries some risk. For a team trying to patch a lineup need on the fly, it is the sort of move that could matter in September even if the bigger payoff may have to wait. [Read more 🡒]