The Arizona Diamondbacks did not need a starting pitcher to shut out the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
The Arizona Diamondbacks held off the Philadelphia Phillies with a 1-0 win to conclude their series at Chase Field in Phoenix on Wednesday.
With the victory, the Diamondbacks avoided the sweep and snapped a three-game losing streak.
All hands on deck
In the series finale, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo relied solely on his bullpen to get through the game.
Right-hander Taylor Clarke got things started in an opening role, pitching 1.2 innings and notching a strikeout and allowing a walk before he was replaced by Derek Law. Law added 1.1 innings of work and struck out two batters while giving up a hit.
Kevin Ginkel and rookie Jose Cabrera took over the middle innings and combined for two strikeouts while allowing only one hit across three innings pitched. Of the seven pitchers who took the mound for the Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Cabrera’s two innings were the longest outing.
Finally, Brandyn Garcia and Jonathan Loaisiga got the final third of the game started before Juan Morillo earned the save, his third of the year. After Loaisiga pitched one inning, he was awarded the winning decision to make him 6-3 on the season.
The shutout win was the Diamondbacks’ 10th of the 2026 campaign, but only their second decided by one run. For so much of the year, Arizona’s offense has shouldered the burden of securing victories, and on a day when it was not coming easy, the pitching staff showed up.
All told, the Diamondbacks’ arms combined for nine strikeouts while allowing three hits and two walks. Finally, in the eighth inning, Arizona broke through when James McCann hit a solo home run to left field.
Back on track
This was an important win for the Diamondbacks because despite a small skid, they are back in third place in the National League Wild Card standings.
The recent poor play of their division rival, the San Diego Padres, who have lost five of their last six games, has given Arizona a half-game lead in an arms race between the two clubs for the third and final Wild Card spot in the NL.
The final month of the season for both the Diamondbacks and the Padres is similar in difficulty, and they will face each other in a fitting regular-season finale at the end of September at Petco Park in San Diego for a three-game series that may decide who gets to play in October and whose season is ending.
For the time being, Arizona needs all the wins it can get to try and ensure its playoff fate does not come down to facing the Padres. If the bullpen can continue to provide the same support it did on Wednesday, it will help a great deal.
