The Diamondbacks Really Needed a Win vs Red Sox. They Let One Slip Away

There is still no such thing as a must-win game in mid-August, particularly when a team has a winning record and is firmly in the center of a playoff race.

But the Arizona Diamondbacks could have used a win on Tuesday night, perhaps more than any other day this season. They let it slip away against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Tuesday's game time arrived with a sense of heaviness. One night prior, All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte was an unexpected no-show, which led to his placement on the Restricted List.

Manager Torey Lovullo expressed concern for Marte, who was reportedly expected to travel back to Arizona to receive an MRI on his knee. His status is still very much surrounded by uncertainty and concern.

It's difficult, even for highly-paid professional athletes, to shut out that kind of noise — particularly for a teammate and friend such as Marte. Lovullo's emotionally-charged response and the overall lack of clarity or apparent communication seemed to suggest something more than a knee issue is at hand, though speculation at this stage would be irresponsible.

The point is, Arizona did not need a win to stay alive in the playoff race. They did not need to beat Boston to see a future impact beyond the win-loss column.

But after the events of Monday night, the absence of concrete answers and the blowout loss in the prior game, the Diamondbacks needed a win. They almost rallied for a meaningful victory. That quickly slipped away into a second-straight blowout loss, 9-4.

Diamondbacks let would-be comeback slip into blowout loss

Jul 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly (29) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Merrill Kelly's outing did not look promising from the outset of this one. After a rough start against the Colorado Rockies his last time out, Kelly's velocity — which had been down — appeared to return to normal levels in Boston. The command, however, was still not sharp.

Kelly loaded the bases, gave up a two-run single and allowed a sac fly for a 3-0 deficit in the first inning. And then, for a brief moment, the Diamondbacks responded.

With two outs in the third inning, Gabriel Moreno crushed his career-best 10th home run of the season — a grand slam deep to center. He'd flipped the score to 4-3 in Arizona's favor with one swing. All Arizona needed was a shutdown inning, or several. Kelly could not make that happen.

The very next inning, Kelly allowed a solo home run to tie the game, then gave up the lead on a wild pitch following a single, groundout and stolen base. The Diamondbacks trailed two outs after Moreno's dramatic homer. Kelly would only survive four innings, charged with six runs on seven hits and four walks.

From there, the contest devolved. The Red Sox tacked on run after run, while the Diamondbacks' offense was silent. It was only Justin Martinez's scoreless return to a major league mound that brought some joy to an otherwise gloomy night in Boston.

Again — this was not a must-win game, nor is this a must-win series. The Diamondbacks are stil very much alive in this playoff race with over 30 games still to play. But after what has been a confusing, whirlwind of a 24-plus-hour period, Arizona could have sorely used a morale-boosting win.

Instead, they'll stare down a series loss, hoping Brandon Pfaadt can live up to his big game reputation to stave off a series sweep on Wednesday afternoon.

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