The Diamondbacks left their quick homestand with Philadelphia exactly where they needed to be in the standings, but not with much momentum to show for it.
Arizona dropped the series to the Phillies, and while Wednesday’s 1-0 win kept the sweep off the books, the D-backs still spent most of the three games looking stuck at the plate. The one victory also restored their half-game lead over the Padres for the final Wild Card spot after San Diego lost two of three in Cincinnati.
Ketel Marte’s return gave the series opener a little jolt. The second baseman was activated off the injured list and played his first game since the series in Atlanta, which also marked his first appearance since the long Marte saga became the only thing the media wanted to talk about for more than two weeks.
Once the games started, though, Arizona’s offense went quiet in a hurry. The Diamondbacks did not record a single hit with runners in scoring position, finishing 0-for-17 in those spots and scoring just one run in each game. The top of the order never really got going either, with Geraldo Perdomo, Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno combining to go 5-for-35 with one walk.
Carroll and Perdomo have both had their issues in 2026, even if Perdomo showed some signs of turning things around with a huge August. Moreno’s slump stood out just as much, though, especially after the way he had hit over the last couple months. Limiting him to two hits in this series was not something many people would have expected.
If the lineup was the problem, the bullpen was the escape hatch. Arizona’s relievers were excellent in Wednesday’s win, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out nine. It was the kind of outing that showed why this group has been one of the biggest strengths on the roster all season.
That hasn’t always been the case in Arizona, either. The bullpen has gone from a source of dread in past years to one of the deepest units Mike Hazen has built during his time as general manager. As of the writing of this article, the Diamondbacks have eight relievers with ERAs below 3.00, even if some of those numbers come in smaller samples from guys like Dennis Santana, Derek Law and Justin Martinez.
There was plenty of debate over which arm deserved the most credit. Gabe went with Brandyn Garcia, pointing to the different ways he can be used, whether that’s facing a tough lefty in the seventh or closing in the ninth.
Brandon backed Morillo, noting his streak of 17 straight scoreless outings and calling him one of the most dependable arms in 2026 despite a few uneven appearances. I went with Taylor Clarke, mainly because he can be used just about anywhere, from opener to middle relief to higher-leverage spots late in games.
September 1 also brought the roster expansion, and Arizona used its two extra spots on Blake Walston and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. For most clubs, that day means young talent getting a shot. For the Diamondbacks, it meant a soft-tossing left-hander and an outfielder who had been struggling badly in Triple A Reno.
Walston was a former first-round pick, taken 26th overall in 2019, but injuries and uneven development have slowed him down. His fastball sits in the 89-90 MPH range, which does not leave much margin for error against big league hitters. Gurriel’s case was no prettier: he had slashed .107/.182/.107 in 28 at-bats during his rehab stint, and he now joins a crowded outfield mix that already includes Carroll, Lawlar, Nootbar, Barossa, Waldschmidt and Kepler.
For the three of us, the reaction was the same: confusion and disappointment. Gurriel’s addition only takes at-bats from younger outfielders like Lawlar and Waldschmidt, while Walston feels like another early Hazen-era pick the organization is still trying to make work.
Now the Diamondbacks head to Houston for a series against the Astros, who currently lead the AL West and will have former Arizona players Christian Walker and Dalton Varsho on the other side. The Astros may be in first place, but that comes with the caveat of a pretty ordinary division and, more broadly, an American League that has not exactly been strong on most days.
Arizona should at least have a chance to win the series and could even sweep it. Houston’s rotation has the third-worst ERA among starting staffs in MLB, and the lineup outside of Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes and AL MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez has been filled with hitters carrying sub-.700 OPS marks. It looks like a prime chance for the Diamondbacks’ struggling bats to wake up, give the starters some support and then let the bullpen try to finish the job.
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Former D-Backs Outfielder Just Got Another Shot To Revive His Career
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Fletchers path since then has been far less settled, with stops that have included the White Sox and a recent minor league stint with Pittsburgh before he elected free agency and found this new opening. For a player trying to reset his trajectory, Louisville offers a fresh stage and a chance to convince another organization there is still something left to unlock. [Read more 🡒]