Spiraling Diamondbacks are entering their final day and need help to avoid a collapse

PHOENIX – Last year, the Arizona Diamondbacks looked like a team of destiny, revitalizing the fan base and then giving the team its highest average home attendance since 2008. But after Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the San Diego Padres, they are one step closer to not capitalizing on that momentum.

In their most important games of the season, the Diamondbacks have lost five of six and fallen out of playoff position.

“Oh man,” manager Torey Luvullo said. “I think at the end of every game you just have to sit back and realize how much of a privilege it is to go out there and compete every day. … This game can be great and just rip your heart out.”

The Diamondbacks took on the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets virtually on Saturday and needed help to secure a wild-card spot. Although the Braves edged the Royals, the Mets were shut out by a Brewers team that played for free, leaving the Diamondbacks at least a chance to greatly help themselves with a win. Instead, put on a performance that doesn’t take away from this season’s highs and symbolizes its lows.

Thanks to the Mets, who have lost three games in a row, the Diamondbacks can still keep their postseason hopes alive with a win to close out their regular season: They need to at least be virtually tied with the Braves or the Mets at the end of Sunday’s lineup in the Braves doubleheader -Mets on Monday will be significant. That’s why the Diamondbacks also turn their attention to Monday when they lose and the Mets lose.

However, if the Diamondbacks lose and the Mets win, the Diamondbacks would be eliminated. It’s the only remaining scenario that would dictate Monday’s doubleheader debate.

Not long ago, the Diamondbacks held one of the NL wild cards. But her last week spiraled.

It all started last Sunday. The Diamondbacks were on a four-game winning streak and had a comfortable 8-0 lead over the Milwaukee Brewers through three innings. Then one of Major League Baseball’s best offenses scored a run the rest of the game, and one of MLB’s worst pitchers lived up to his status. The Diamondbacks blew their largest lead in franchise history, causing their postseason Fangraphs ratings to drop from 83.1 percent to 41.4 percent.

After the Diamondbacks lost control of their destiny on Friday, Lovullo did everything in his power to keep his team from hitting the red button. It was business as usual in the home clubhouse at Chase Field on Saturday. Another crowd of over 40,000 people returned, hoping to witness a change in fortunes.

Instead, a Diamondbacks offense with the league’s second-best batting average looked helpless against Randy Vásquez, a right-handed pitcher the Padres had recalled from Triple A earlier in the day.

Several Padres regulars, including Luis Arraez, the leading candidate for the NL batting title, sat 0ut. They had already secured home field advantage for their Wild Card Series. And the Diamondbacks desperately needed a win on Saturday. The Padres couldn’t do that, but they broke a scoreless tie after eight innings en route to a narrow victory late.

On a night in which Vásquez pitched six scoreless innings with just one hit allowed for the Padres, one of the most consistent relievers in the second half of this season, AJ Puk of the Diamondbacks, gave up a single, a two-run home run and a single Solo shot against his first three batters in the top of the ninth after going without a run allowed since August 2nd.

For those few moments, it sounded like a Padres home game.

A quick bottom half gave the Diamondbacks just two goals and another loss.

“It’s baseball,” Puk said. “Things like this happen and I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.”

In this case, tomorrow is Game No. 162, Sunday’s regular season finale against the Padres. It could be a game that helps save the Diamondbacks’ postseason hopes. Or it could be a game that marks the final act of a collapse.

(Top photo of Diamondbacks pitcher AJ Puk after giving up a home run to catcher Kyle Higashioka: Joe Camporeale / Imagn Images)