The Diamondbacks’ extra-inning loss left them staring at a missed chance to close on San Diego, and the margin for what might have changed the series - and the season - was painfully small. One more runner coming home from scoring position in any of the final five innings would have shifted the whole night.
Arizona also got a troubling update with Arenado making an early injury due to thumb injury, a hit the club can’t really afford at third base right now.
There was at least one bit of organizational news with a brighter edge: the Cardinals made the right move trading Nootbar. So far, it has played out as a win-win deal.
Arizona has gotten an improved Nootbar, while St. Louis has benefited from Baez stepping in to fill Nootbar’s roster spot and the pitching prospects holding their value since the deadline.
In Reno, Crisantes gave the Aces a lift by hitting his third home run since joining the club, but the result still went against them. The bigger concern was that the Diamondbacks organization has probably seen Drey Jameson play his last game for them.
Jameson missed Thompson with a 98 mph fastball that went behind the hitter, then came right back and threw another 98 mph heater at Thompson. Jameson has reportedly already been suspended.
Around baseball, Pete Alonso reached a major milestone by hitting his 300th career home run in a victory over the Mets, and the Citi Field crowd still gave the longtime Met a standing ovation for it.
There’s also plenty of attention turning toward possible 2026 managerial and front office changes across MLB. The read there is that Mike Hazen is probably safe, thanks to his multi-year contract and Arizona still being in the playoff race.
Lovullo is a different story, with his deal set to expire after the season. The approaching 2027 lockout could end up shaping several decisions, including potentially the futures of both Hazen and Lovullo.
In Other News...
Lars Nootbaar Trade Is Giving D-Backs Fans A Fair Debate
The trade deadline deal that brought Lars Nootbaar to Arizona has settled into one of those moves fans keep revisiting because it already looks like it can be argued from both sides. St. Louis sent Nootbaar to the Diamondbacks for Daniel Eagen, Sandro Santana and a player to be named later, part of a larger deadline push aimed at collecting young, controllable pieces for the future, and the early returns have only sharpened the discussion.
Eagen and Santana have both been performing well in the Cardinals' minor league system, while Nootbaar has given Arizona the kind of steady production it hoped to get when it made the swap. For Diamondbacks fans, that leaves a fair debate about whether the short-term help in Nootbaar is worth the prospect cost, even as the broader logic of the deal still points toward upside down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Just Wasted Another Huge Chance In The NL West
Michael Soroka gave Arizona exactly the kind of start it needed, working five innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out six, and the bullpen followed with five scoreless innings to keep the Marlins in check for most of the afternoon. In a game where the pitching staff did more than enough to win, Gabi Morenos first-inning home run stood as the lone breakthrough for an offense that never found a second gear.
The missed opportunity showed up in the most familiar place for a contending club: the box score with runners on base. Arizona finished 1-for-13 in those spots, and several key bats, including Pavin Smith, Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Lawlar, went quiet when the Diamondbacks needed one timely hit to cash in a strong pitching performance. In a tight NL West race, those are the kind of games that linger. [Read more 🡒]
Ryne Nelson Is Back And The D-Backs Pitching Picture Just Changed
Ryne Nelsons return is about to give the Diamondbacks another look at a rotation and staff picture that has been unsettled for months. The right-hander has been sidelined since mid-June with a partial flexor tear, but he avoided surgery and is now set to come back from the 60-day injured list as Arizona keeps piecing together innings down the stretch.
To make room, the Diamondbacks are designating Derek Law for assignment, a notable move for a veteran who only recently turned 36 and has logged nine innings this season. He will go on waivers as Arizona clears space for Nelson, a reminder that every healthy arm matters when a team is trying to stabilize its pitching mix. [Read more 🡒]