Diamondbacks shut out Chicago White Sox, inch closer to clinching wild-card spot
CHICAGO — Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo was putting on his socks when he glanced up at a reporter with a question. What needs to happen, he wondered, for the Diamondbacks to clinch a playoff spot?
Perdomo and others in the visitors’ clubhouse were clear on this much: With their 3-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon, the Diamondbacks had inched closer to a wild-card spot. Beyond that, many of them were unsure of the specifics, opting not to be distracted by things beyond their control.
“I know we’re in the playoff picture if it was to start today,” Diamondbacks outfielder Tommy Pham said. “But I know we still have four games left and we could easily be not in the playoff picture. You have to keep on battling, keep on winning.”
They did those things on Wednesday thanks to right-hander Brandon Pfaadt’s sharp performance, thanks to four relievers who combined to record the game’s final 10 outs, thanks to Corbin Carroll and Pham, who delivered the run-scoring hits in the Diamondbacks’ three-run third inning.
It added up to win No. 84. How many more victories they will need remains to be seen.
As they departed Guaranteed Rate Field on Wednesday, there was a relatively straightforward scenario in which they could clinch by Thursday night. Was it likely? Maybe not. But it was at least possible.
First, they would need to win on Thursday afternoon in their series finale against this hapless White Sox club. Second, they needed the Cincinnati Reds to lose on Wednesday night. And third, they needed the Miami Marlins to lose both ends of their doubleheader on Wednesday and one more time on Thursday.
If all those things were to happen, the Diamondbacks could, in theory, clinch during their flight home from Chicago on Thursday night. They might not know who they would be facing — they could be headed to either Philadelphia or Milwaukee for the best-of-three wild-card series, based on whether they finish above or behind the Cubs — but they would know their season would last at least a few more days.
“We know it’s right in front of us,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We control our own destiny in this particular situation. We’re taking nothing for granted. We are a very humble group. These guys are hungry.”
Or, as Lovullo suggested, if the Diamondbacks were to keep winning games, they wouldn’t even have to worry about the scoreboard-watching component of it. There are, of course, a variety of other ways it could all play out, but the sooner the Diamondbacks can clinch, the sooner they can set their rotation.
For now, right-handers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are slated to start on Friday and Saturday against the Astros. The hope is the Diamondbacks can clinch before Friday night, pushing Gallen to Game 1 and Kelly to Game 2 of the wild-card series. If they have to pitch against Houston, Gallen would line for Game 2 and Kelly Game 3 of the playoffs.
That would be less than ideal, of course, but Pfaadt’s performance on Wednesday provided some hope that they have a capable fallback option for Game 1. Mixing mostly four pitches, he allowed just five this, walked none and struck out eight, eliciting 14 swinging strikes, one shy of his career high.
“We’ve got to make some tough decisions if we continue to move forward,” Lovullo said. “We’re not sure about the rotation outside of Zac and Merrill, but we have some good options and Brandon is certainly continuing to push forward and make a case for himself.”
So while the playoffs are close enough that nearly everyone can taste it, Pham said the challenge is for the Diamondbacks not to get too far ahead of themselves. On Thursday, they’ll give the ball to rookie Bryce Jarvis to open a bullpen day, then they’ll return home to face the Astros in a series that could carry significance for both teams.
“A day at a time,” Pham said. “That’s the hard part. We will have one more game here. And you never overlook your opponent. Houston is in a battle, as well, and they’re still fighting to get in it.”
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. scratched with left shoulder discomfort
CHICAGO — Left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was scratched from Wednesday afternoon’s game due to left shoulder discomfort, but Lovullo made it sound like Gurriel would be good to go on Thursday.
“It just tightened up on him and we wanted to use our best judgment on him,” Lovullo said. “He’s day-to-day. He’s most likely in there tomorrow.”
Lovullo said Gurriel first felt the discomfort while taking swings in the cage prior to Wednesday’s game.
The day went down as Gurriel’s first off day since Sept. 7. He has been a steady presence in the Diamondbacks’ lineup throughout the season and a consistent contributor over the past couple of months, hitting .295 with an .860 OPS since the start of August.
Diamondbacks designate Zach Davies for assignment
CHICAGO — The Diamondbacks designated right-hander Zach Davies for assignment, pulling the plug on the veteran starter after his latest rough appearance on Tuesday night.
Davies was charged with four runs in three innings against the White Sox, the fourth consecutive start in which he did not pitch well. In that stretch, he allowed 15 earned runs in 14 innings.
"Very tough decision," Lovullo said. "Zach has been everything we always wanted with his professionalism, his ability to communicate, advocate for himself, help his teammates. This is just a performance-based industry and unfortunately things were not going great for him up on the mound. He did have some good moments but we just made this very tough decision to get another arm in here that we felt will help us win some baseball games."
With only four games remaining in the season, Davies' spot in the rotation will come up only one more time, on Sunday against the Astros. Right-hander Ryne Nelson, who came in on Tuesday night in relief of Davies, seems likely to step in to make that start, assuming the game still has significance.
Last year, Davies was a reliable back-end option for the rotation, logging a 4.09 ERA in 27 starts. This year, however, he posted a 7.00 ERA in 18 starts, a year that was sidetracked early on by an oblique strain that cost him six weeks. He also dealt with back problems that sidelined him for another month.
Taking Davies’ place on the roster is right-hander Justin Martinez.
Coming up
Thursday: At Chicago, 11:10 a.m., Diamondbacks TBA vs. White Sox RHP Touki Toussaint (4-7, 5.10).
Friday: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (17-8, 3.49) vs. Astros RHP Hunter Brown (11-13, 5.12).
Saturday: At Chase Field, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (12-7, 3.38) vs. Astros RHP Justin Verlander (12-8, 3.32).
Big opener: Diamondbacks' Christian Walker has huge night in critical win over White Sox
Playoff payoff: How to purchase potential Diamondbacks postseason game tickets
It's wild: What are MLB's tiebreaker rules? How the NL wild-card race could end
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Diamondbacks down Chicago White Sox in shutout
