The Diamondbacks’ season came down to Game 162, and that was as far as the push could go. Arizona battled all the way to the final day, but the deficit from the previous week proved too steep to erase, and the day ended with a 9-4 loss that served mostly as a formality.
When Lovullo pulled Martinez from the game, he gathered the infielders on the mound and put an arm around Geraldo Perdomo while hugging Ketel Marte. By then, the result no longer mattered. The Diamondbacks were headed home for the winter.
“It was a really special group,” Lovullo said. “We played hard for every inning of every game, and we came up one game short, or a couple games short. And it’s happened in the past, we’ve come close.”
There was at least one notable individual bright spot in the final week: Gabriel Moreno won the first batting title in Diamondbacks history. He didn’t get to finish the season on the field, though. Moreno had been in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Padres before being scratched because of a left hamstring injury.
“It feels good,” Moreno said. “It’s something that you dream about when you are playing baseball since you were 2 years old, 4 years old, winning a batting title. Doing it here in the big leagues means a lot to me and to my family.”
Arizona has come close before. Luis Gonzalez finished second in 1999 with a .336 average, behind the Rockies’ Larry Walker at .379, and Ketel Marte was runner-up in 2019, when he hit .329 and finished percentage points behind Christian Yelich, who also batted .329.
The disappointment of missing the playoffs for the third straight season was front and center afterward. Corbin Carroll called the feeling “super disappointed.”
“Felt like there was definitely a good chance,” he said. “I thought we played pretty well in September this year.
I think the record was pretty solid. I think just over the course of 162, it’s hard to pin in on a game - a week. ...
It’s just kind of the totality of it. We’ve got to play better.”
Veteran Nolan Arenado pointed to the final home stand as a turning point.
“I think we showed a lot of fight. That was really great.
We just didn’t take care of business when we should have. That last home stand, I think that’s what stands out to me, is that we didn’t take care of business in those series, and it kind of put us in a hole.
But it was great to see us just battle all the way to the end of the fight. And I feel like we did that right here.
It just wasn’t enough at the right time.”
Lovullo also addressed his future as his contract expires, saying he wants to keep winning in Arizona.
“Arizona’s my home, I love Arizona,” Lovullo said. “The people and the fans are spectacular.
The group I work for is amazing. I love being around them every day, and I don’t want that to change … but I want to be wanted.”
Asked to explain that, Lovullo added: “I’ve never felt unwanted. I just feel like there’s a portion of this that at times spins out of control that we aren’t a good organization and we don’t do things right,” Lovullo said.
“I just want people to know how important doing it right is every day, and we do it that way. I want this baseball community to be proud of what we do.
I’ve never felt unwanted, but there’s some decisions that need to be made, and it’s gotten this far, so I don’t know what’s going on. Once I figure that out, if it works in my favor, I do want to be wanted.”
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Enter Offseason With Torey Lovullo Uncertainty Looming
The Diamondbacks are heading into the offseason with an unusually big question hanging over the dugout: whether Torey Lovullo will be back for an 11th season as manager. Lovullo, who signed a three-year extension after the 2023 World Series, has not yet had any discussions about another deal, and both he and team executives have acknowledged that his future remains unresolved.
For Arizona, it is a notable piece of business to sort out after a season shaped by expectations raised in recent years. Lovullo has made clear he would like to keep going if the organization wants him back, but for now the situation sits in limbo, leaving one of the clubs most familiar figures waiting on a decision that could help define the next phase of the team. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Fans Are Split On What This Season Really Proved
The Diamondbacks postseason hopes ended before their game against the Padres could even finish, thanks to the Phillies win over the Rays that mathematically closed the door. It was a stark reminder of how quickly the margins can vanish, especially for a club that reached the World Series in 2023 and has now watched October slip away for a third straight season.
Among fans, the reaction has been all over the map, with online debate centering on what this year says about the roster and the road ahead. Some are weighing the promise of a quick rebound against the frustration of another missed opportunity, and the lingering question is whether this season was a setback, a disappointment, or a sign of something deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Season Ends With A Near-Miss That Will Sting All Winter
The Diamondbacks came into the final day needing help and some finishing punch, but the combination never materialized. Arizona had to beat San Diego and get a Phillies loss to keep its postseason hopes alive, yet the results went the other way, ending the season on the wrong side of a razor-thin race that will linger in the background all winter.
Gabriel Moreno was in the original lineup before a hamstring injury knocked him out of the game, adding another layer of frustration to a day already loaded with pressure. For a team that had put itself in position to keep playing, the ending was especially harsh: one last chance to control its fate slipped away, and the wait for next October starts now. [Read more 🡒]