'Battle-tested' Arizona Diamondbacks looking to learn from last year's pennant race

This time last season, the Diamondbacks stopped hitting. Their at-bats were poor, especially in key situations. A trip to the postseason hung in the balance, and while they wound up making it, the reality is they were fortunate to have done so.

They lost each of their final four games and six of their final nine.

There were lessons from that experience, and whether the Diamondbacks can apply them this final weekend of the season remains to be seen. The Diamondbacks, as they did last year, control their destiny. They will find out whether they can keep it that way Friday night when they open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Chase Field.

“We’ve played games of this importance before,” Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll said. “I think something that I learned at least personally last year is that the magnitude is bigger, but you’ve got to take it a day at a time. It’s still baseball. You’ve got to do the same thing. You can’t try to do more. Just lay it all out there and whatever happens happens.”

The Diamondbacks (88-71) are one game up on — but tied in the loss column with — the Atlanta Braves (86-71) for the final National League wild-card spot and are percentage points back of the New York Mets (87-70) for the second wild card. The Diamondbacks do not own the tiebreaker against either club, meaning they have to finish ahead of at least one of them.

With the Mets and Braves set to play a doubleheader Monday, a variety of scenarios could play out over the weekend, during which the Mets will be facing the Milwaukee Brewers while the Braves match up against the Kansas City Royals. Over the next three days, the Diamondbacks could clinch, get eliminated or be stuck in limbo.

If the Diamondbacks sweep the Padres, they are in. Anything less than that and they will be reliant on outcomes beyond their control.

A sweep would be difficult, of course, whether the Padres have something to play for or not. (They entered their game on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium three back of the Dodgers in the NL West.) The Diamondbacks will be sending right-hander Merrill Kelly to the mound in the opener Friday, but their starters in the next two games likely will not inspire confidence, no matter whom they choose.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has a 5.56 ERA and was hit hard by the Giants on Monday. Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt was torched on Tuesday and has been hammered in two of his past three outings. If the Diamondbacks reinstate right-hander Ryne Nelson from the injured list, which they are expected to do, Nelson could be rusty following a nearly three-week layoff and likely will be limited to a maximum of roughly 50 pitches.

While there are similarities to last season’s race, there seems to be one significant difference: the competition. The Diamondbacks were challenged last year by teams that could not get out of their own way. It took only 84 wins to reach the postseason.

This year’s race includes two clubs, the Mets and Braves, who are playing well and either could exceed 90 wins. Backing into the postseason is still possible, of course, but it feels a little less likely at the moment.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said he has thought back multiple times to the end of last season — and he thinks his players have, too — and concluded that his takeaway was to worry about only themselves.

“At the end of it, all we can control is what we’re doing in our space,” he said. “… You can’t worry about Scenario A, Scenario B, Scenario C. You’ve got to worry about right now and take care of right now.”

Carroll said that was one lesson he took from last year. Another was how to cope with the extreme highs and lows that playoff-caliber baseball can bring.

“Learning how to deal with that takes a little bit of time,” he said. “I think being battle-tested from that, we know how to handle that. When you think back to a series like the Phillies last year, just dealing with the emotions that come with that, I think there’s value in it.”

Carroll also remembers the way Diamondbacks hitters were pressing late in the regular season before relaxing upon reaching the postseason. It can be easier said than done, but the Diamondbacks realize they are at their best when they are being themselves.

“I remember getting in … (and) it kind of felt like we were playing with house money,” Carroll said. “It was like, ‘We’re in, let’s see what we can do.’ Just played a little bit freer. Maybe a little bit more of that mindset rather than pressing to get in.”

Will the Diamondbacks make the playoffs? What odds, schedule say about chances

Ryne Nelson, Alek Thomas back on roster

The Diamondbacks made a pair of roster moves ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Padres, reinstating right-hander Ryne Nelson from the 15-day injured list and recalling outfielder Alek Thomas from Triple-A Reno.

In corresponding moves, Arizona sent down two pitchers, left-hander Blake Walston and right-hander Yilber Diaz.

Nelson figures to play into the club’s pitching plans on either Saturday or Sunday, though likely not in an extended capacity. He threw 28 pitches in a bullpen session Tuesday. He had been the club’s best starting pitcher for a two-month stretch before landing on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation 2 1/2 weeks ago.

Thomas has had a frustrating season, struggling to stay healthy and produce at the big-league level. He recently returned from a month-long absence in Reno due to an oblique strain. He missed three months earlier in the year with a hamstring strain.

He has been swinging the bat well since his most recent IL stint, going 14 for 38 (.368) with two doubles, two homers and six walks in 10 games.

Nelson likely will play some sort of prominent role if the Diamondbacks reach the postseason. Thomas' standing is less clear, though he is one of the better defensive center fielders in baseball and could, at least, be used that way. There were a handful of fly balls this week that center fielder Jake McCarthy was unable to track down; the organization always has viewed Thomas as the superior defender.

Friday’s Diamondbacks-Padres pitching matchup

Padres at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34

Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (5-0, 3.71) vs. Padres LHP Martin Perez (5-5, 4.25).

At Chase Field: Kelly threw well against the Brewers last weekend in Milwaukee but had to leave his start after just five innings due to more cramping issues in his legs, the second time in the past three starts he was forced out of a start early by cramps. … Kelly has made eight starts since returning from the injured list in early August, posting a 4.57 ERA in 43 1/3 innings. He has been sharp, however, over his past four, logging a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings. … Kelly has not faced the Padres yet this season. He owns a 3.05 ERA in 15 career starts against them. They scored seven runs off him in 10 1/3 innings in two starts last season. … Perez has been terrific since joining the Padres, pitching to a 2.61 ERA in nine starts following a deadline trade with the Pirates. … Perez has not faced the Diamondbacks this season and has faced them only twice in his career, most recently in 2018. … 3B Eugenio Suarez is 5 for 9 with a double, a homer and four walks off him. LF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also has homered against him in six plate appearances.

Coming up

Saturday: At Chase Field, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-4, 5.56) vs. Padres RHP Yu Darvish (6-3, 3.18).

Sunday: At Chase Field, 12:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (10-10, 4.80) vs. Padres RHP Michael King (13-9, 2.95).

What to know about the San Diego Padres

The Padres entered Thursday night’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers looking to move to within a game of first place in the National League West. A loss would clinch the division for the Dodgers. The Padres will have the top wild-card spot should they fall short in the division and would host the best-of-three wild-card series at Petco Park. The Padres have been the best team in baseball during the second half, their 41-18 record being the only one better than the Diamondbacks’ 39-23 mark. CF Jackson Merrill has been a big reason for the surge; he has hit .313/346/.603 since the All-Star Break. RHP Joe Musgrove has been terrific in eight starts since returning from the injured list, logging a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings. RHP Yu Darvish has also thrown well lately, with a 2.08 ERA in his past three starts. RHP Robert Suarez has had his struggles in the ninth inning, blowing three of seven chances and allowing eight runs over his past eight appearances.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Battle-tested' Arizona Diamondbacks looking to learn from last year's pennant race