Diamondbacks Begin the Biggest Series of the Season

The Diamondbacks will host the Padres in what is undoubtedly the biggest series of the year. All playoff hopes come down to this.

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo against the San Francisco Giants in the sixth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sept. 25, 2024. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks are starting their final regular season series of the year on Friday and it is a big one. The Padres come to town as one of the hottest teams in baseball, with every game holding Arizona's playoff hopes in the balance.

It was announced on Friday morning that DBACKS.TV would be made free for all Diamondbacks fans in the state of Arizona for this weekend's series. Read more on this announcement HERE, to learn if you can watch the games for free.

Emotions will be riding high all weekend long, and Diamondbacks fans and Padres fans alike will be fully invested, with a playoff-like atmosphere and over 40 thousand fans coming into Chase Field in downtown Phoenix every day.

The series kicks off on Friday at 6:40 P.M., with a critical matchup that will set the tone for the weekend.

Starting Pitchers

Merrill Kelly, RHP, 5-0, 3.71 ERA, 4.49 FIP in 68 IP

Merrill Kelly has had a great year when he's been healthy. He missed most of 2024 with a shoulder injury, leaving the Diamondbacks without one of their best pitchers, but since his return, Kelly has come on strong.

His last two starts have been particularly dominant, with the D-backs right-hander throwing a combined 11 innings, allowing 4 hits and 1 run, with 11 K's in the books.

Kelly has been praised for his consistency, and giving Diamondbacks fans a feeling of safety while he is on the mound. For that reason he owns the title of "Merrill the Mainstay", and that is just who they need to open this series.

Yu Darvish, RHP, 6-3, 3.18 ERA, 3.88 FIP in 76.1 IP

Yu Darvish is back to his old and dominant form in 2024. He missed much of the year in a combination of injury and a personal matter which he had to attend to.

In 4 starts since his return, he has gotten differing results but has only seemed to improve. He has gone deeper into each ballgame he has thrown in and will be a force to be reckoned with against the Diamondbacks.

In his career, Darvish has faced the Diamondbacks 18 times. In those appearances, he was 8-5 with a 3.55 ERA, with 131 strikeouts.

This is a very different Diamondbacks team than those that Darvish has experienced in the past. They lead the league in runs scored, and battle on every pitch. Arizona's famous approach will be crucial in this matchup in particular, as Darvish does not hand out many free passes, and every opportunity will be critical.

Playoff Implications

Every game counts for Arizona at this point, with this series being the first real "win or go home" that they have faced this season. We broke down every possible scenario for the Diamondbacks in a story HERE.

Importantly, the Padres also have something to play for. If they win even a single game against the D-backs this weekend, they clinch homefield advantage in the Wild Card round, which is no small advantage.

The Diamondbacks do still have a chance to overtake them with a sweep, with the tiebreaker between the two teams being decided during this series.

A big theme for Arizona has been "controlling their own destiny". Now is the last chance to do so, as the Mets and Braves, who are the biggest treats to the D-backs' playoff hopes, play a double-header on Monday which could easily crush Arizona's playoff hopes.

Lineups

Diamondbacks lineup vs Padres 9/27/24 / @Dbacks on X

Torey Lovullo's lineup looks very familiar in Friday's opener, with one small change. Pavin Smith noticeably slides into the 6 hole, with his hot hitting continuing against the Giants. This slides Corbin Carroll into Center Field and moves Jake McCarthy onto the bench.

Diamondbacks ON SI's Jack Sommers predicted this might be the case, as Smith in 20 PA's against Yu Darvish in his career boasts a .313 batting average with a 1.013 OPS.

Another hot hitting Diamondback who should be highlighted against the Padres right hander is Corbin Carroll. In his career, Carroll has a .545 batting average, with a 1.524 OPS and 1 Home Run against Darvish. The 13 PA sample isn't particularily small for such a young player.

Someone who has not fared quite so well agaist Darvish in his career is Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo. In 16 plate appearances, Perdomo has a .000 batting average with only 2 walks to show for himself.

The Arizona Diamondbacks take on the San Diego Padres, opening the biggest series of the year, at 6:40 P.M., Phoenix local time. Chase Field is bound to give a playoff type atmosphere, and for all D-backs fans who are able, it is more than recommended to be part of something special at the stadium.

For all things D-backs, including breaking news, detailed breakdowns, and more, make sure to stay locked into all things Arizona Diamondbacks ON SI as we follow the teams journey toward the playoffs.