The Arizona Diamondbacks dropped the opener of their final regular-season series, falling to the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Friday night at Chase Field. With the loss, Arizona’s playoff destiny slipped from its control, leaving the D-backs reliant on help from other teams to secure an NL Wild Card spot.

Early Struggles Set the Tone

Arizona’s night began on a sour note as starting pitcher Merrill Kelly gave up four runs in the first inning, setting the stage for a tough uphill battle. San Diego sent nine batters to the plate, and defensive miscues contributed to the Diamondbacks’ early deficit.

Kelly’s troubles began with a leadoff double from Luis Arraez, who later scored after Manny Machado’s sharp one-hopper bounced past second baseman Ketel Marte. That miscue set the Padres up for a big inning, compounded by Marte’s throwing error on a potential double play ball from Xander Bogaerts, allowing another run to score.

“There’s a few mistakes, a few errors that happened today, including my error,” Marte said through an interpreter. “But this isn’t done yet. There’s two more to go.”

D-backs manager Torey Lovullo made an unusual early mound visit to settle his infielders and remind them to stay focused.

“I just told them, ‘Lock in,’” Lovullo said. “I saw a couple things that told me we weren’t absolutely 100% engaged, and I just wanted to make sure we were.”

D-backs Offense Falls Short

The Diamondbacks showed resilience in the bottom of the first, cutting the Padres’ lead in half. Corbin Carroll blasted a solo home run, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. added a sacrifice fly, but Arizona couldn’t build on that momentum throughout the game.

Despite multiple scoring opportunities, the D-backs finished the night 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Their struggles at the plate included several near-misses: Eugenio Suárez’s liner just missed clearing the foul pole, Pavin Smith’s 398-foot flyout to center, and Marte’s 401-foot shot that was tracked down by Jackson Merrill.

“We had chances all night but couldn’t come through when it mattered,” Lovullo said. “We didn’t get the victory today, but we sure as hell are going to do all we can to get one tomorrow.”

Kelly Settles Down, but Padres Prevail

After the rocky first inning, Kelly regained control, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing only one earned run. He struck out eight Padres but was ultimately charged with four runs—three of them unearned—thanks to the defensive lapses.

“I think there’s a couple pitches I’d like back, but for the most part, I felt like I had pretty good stuff,” Kelly said. “Location was good, changeup was really good tonight.”

The D-backs bullpen kept the game within reach, with Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson, A.J. Puk, and Kevin Ginkel combining for 3.1 scoreless innings. However, Arizona couldn’t overcome the early hole.

Wild Card Race Tightens

The loss drops the Diamondbacks (88-72) into a virtual tie with the New York Mets (87-71) and Atlanta Braves (87-71) in the NL Wild Card standings. However, Arizona trails both teams in percentage points and lacks the tiebreaker against either. With just two games left, the D-backs must win out and hope for a loss from either the Mets or Braves to clinch a postseason berth.

“I don’t feel great,” Lovullo said of the loss. “But it makes me hungry. Makes me want to come here tomorrow and be my absolute best for this team, and I know the team feels the same way.”

The Mets fell 8-4 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, while the Braves topped the Kansas City Royals 3-0. Arizona will be scoreboard-watching over the weekend as they continue their playoff push.

Looking Ahead

The Diamondbacks return to action on Saturday, with Eduardo Rodriguez set to take the mound. The Padres, having already secured the top NL Wild Card spot, have yet to announce their starting pitcher.

“We’re going to be ready to go tomorrow,” Ginkel said. “This team is playoff-caliber, and I feel like we’ve shown that all year. We just have to finish strong.”

Arizona now faces a simple, but pressure-packed equation: win their next two games and hope for a little help from elsewhere. If they can pull off that feat, their playoff hopes will remain alive.