The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks begin a three-game series on Tuesday facing varying degrees of postseason certainty.
The Dodgers (88-68) clinched a playoff spot on Friday, and their magic number to win the National League West for the 12th time in 13 seasons sits at three after the San Diego Padres (86-71) won late Monday night. Los Angeles has a minuscule chance of passing the Philadelphia Phillies (92-64) to join the Milwaukee Brewers (95-61) as the two NL teams with a first-round playoff bye.
According to Fangraphs, the D-backs' odds to slip into the NL playoffs improved to 6.5 percent over the weekend as they took two of three against the Phillies. However, at 79-77, they still must pass the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds (both 80-76) with six games remaining. The Reds hold the tiebreaker over both.
"A lot has to go right for us," Arizona right fielder Corbin Carroll said. "Each one of these games obviously matters a ton. Have to take it one game at a time and, at the same time, not let it create unneeded pressure and just still play free like we have been playing this last few weeks."
Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 3.29 ERA) will face Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (13-8, 5.02) in the series opener on Tuesday.
Ohtani has made 13 pitching starts this year since returning to the mound in June, having recovered from elbow surgery. None of the outings has been longer than five innings, but his latest was his best. He struck out five in five no-hit innings on Sept. 16 but did not get a decision in the Dodgers' 9-6 loss to the Phillies.
Pfaadt enters after his career-best outing. He gave up one hit in nine scoreless innings against San Francisco on Wednesday, but did not get a decision in the Giants' 5-1, 11-inning victory. Pfaadt had never previously pitched more than eight innings in a game.
"We know who we are up against," Pfaadt said, "but we know the team that we are and the baseball we've been playing. So keep doing what we can control and see what happens. We're in a good spot."
Ohtani, who has 53 homers and leads the majors with 85 extra-base hits, is a virtual lock to win his third straight MVP award -- two with the Dodgers, one with the Los Angeles Angels -- and fourth in five years.
"Our guys are playing playoff-caliber baseball," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "You can just see the intensity with each pitch, each play.
"The next step is to win this division, so we still have some work to do. And then once we do that, then we can focus on the postseason."
Carroll homered and stole a base in a 9-2 victory over the Phillies on Sunday, becoming the first player in D-backs history with a 30-30 season. He has 31 homers and 30 steals.
He is the third player in major league history to hit those markers while also recording 15 triples. Willie Mays did it in 1957 and Jimmy Rollins in 2007. Carroll has a major-league-high 17 triples.
"To do something that is historic in some way, it means you are doing something right," Carroll said.
The D-backs have produced a 28-19 record since the trade deadline, tied for the fifth-best record in the majors during that span.
"It's not how you start a season, it's how you finish," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "We've never shut down. We never stopped believing in one another and never stopped staying connected. I've always said it, when you are connected, you are capable of doing a lot of things. You are dangerous."
--Field Level Media
