D-backs romp in finale, can only watch as playoff fate is determined

PHOENIX -- Now they wait.

The D-backs rolled in the final game of the regular season, an 11-2 victory over the Padres on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field. Whether they make the postseason is now out of their hands.

• National League Wild Card scenarios

"It sucks," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "But there's nothing we can do about it, right? We made this bed; we got to sleep in it."

Provided they are able to sleep with all that's at stake, the D-backs will have to wait until the completion of a doubleheader Monday in Atlanta between the Mets and Braves to know their fate. If the two teams split that doubleheader, the D-backs’ season is over and both the Mets and Braves earn NL Wild Card spots. If one team sweeps, that team and the D-backs qualify for the postseason.

Arizona finished the regular season with an 89-73 record, a five-game improvement over the 2023 team that got the final NL Wild Card spot and sprinted all the way to the World Series.

But while 84 wins last year was enough, 89 might not be this year.

The D-backs had control of their own destiny until the past week, when they dropped five of six games, including a 5-0 loss on Saturday, when the Padres called up a pitcher from Triple-A to start and rested half of their regular lineup.

For Lovullo, though, the missed opportunities go further back.

"I thought about them all a lot," Lovullo said. "I'm going back to the opening road series [of the year]. I go that far back."

That opening road series was in Atlanta, where the D-backs were swept in a three-game series in which they had leads in two of the games, including a 6-0 advantage.

It's because of those losses, as well as the fact that they dropped two of three to the Mets at home in late August, that the D-backs don't hold the tiebreaker nod against either the Braves or Mets.

"So we lose the tiebreakers," Lovullo said. "That's where it stinks. And I could have managed better, players could have played better. Everybody could have been better. It was just, that's how, what? That's how it ended up, and we're losing both tiebreakers to the Mets and the Braves."

But had they lost on Sunday, the D-backs would already be packing up for the winter. Instead, they got a good outing from starter Brandon Pfaadt and their offense came alive against Martín Pérez with a six-run fourth inning. Eugenio Suárez reached 30 home runs and 100 RBIs for the season with a 3-for-5 performance.

It was quite a comeback for Suárez , who was a candidate to be designated for assignment in late June when his batting average was under .200.

Now, he's a key part of an offense that led the Majors in runs.

"It's an awesome feeling," Suárez said. "To be able to have a good season -- 30 homers and 100-plus RBIs is something that I work hard for. After I had the first half that wasn't that good and then to be able to have a very good second half and be able to have 30 homers, it's awesome. I've got to feel proud of myself, proud of my work."

Pfaadt probably could have pitched longer in the game, but he has been dealing with some back tightness lately. After the six-run fourth inning, it stiffened up a bit on him so Lovullo did not want to push him too hard.

Neither Pfaadt nor Lovullo had any concern that Pfaadt would be able to make his next start. The only question now is whether that next start will be in the postseason or next season.

The answer will come Monday. All the D-backs can do is sit and watch and wait.