Diamondbacks' Ugly Loss to Rockies is Bad Sign for Playoff Hopes

There is no such thing as a must-win series for a team in possession of a playoff spot in mid-August, especially against a club as weak in the win-loss department as the Colorado Rockies.

Unfortunately, the Arizona Diamondbacks' brutal situational execution on Tuesday and Wednesday led to a series loss, dampening the thrill of winning the season series against the Dodgers just a few days prior.

Diamondbacks lose playoff ground with loss to Rockies

Aug 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks base runner Corbin Carroll slides into home to score in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With back-to-back losses to the basement-dwelling Rockies, the Diamondbacks now fall to 64-58, barely hanging on to the third and final Wild Card berth.

The Philadelphia Phillies, who also lost Wednesday, have the same record. Arizona owns the tiebreaker over the Phillies for the time being, but will have to see them again for a three-game set before the season series tiebreaker is fully determined.

The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, continue to stack wins. With their extra-inning victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, they pass Arizona with a 65-57 record for the second Wild Card slot. It feels likely Arizona and San Diego might have their seasons come down to the final series of the year, as the two teams will face off at Petco Park to wrap up 2026.

The good news is, the Diamondbacks will not need the tiebreaker over the Rockies, and they do still have an excellent 26-16 record against their own division. However, it was more what the Arizona exhibited in its two losses to Colorado that provide the most future concern.

Diamondbacks' loss to Rockies highlights offensive issues

Aug 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Lars Nootbaar (21) falls after getting hit against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After a nine-run outburst and a shutout win over Colorado in game one, the D-backs' offense went relatively silent in games two and three. In a familiar, ugly pattern, they could not come away with the big knock to break either following contest open — against a poor Rockies pitching staff.

The Diamondbacks went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position in game two, getting both runs by way of first-inning solo homers from Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte. The team went 3-for-12 with RISP in game three, but only two runs scored as a result of those three hits.

Arizona worked 10 walks and 11 base hits against Colorado in the finale. They only plated four runs, and stranded an unbelievable 15 baserunners. They squandered bases-loaded opportunities in three separate innings.

In fact, the Diamondbacks became just the second team in MLB history to lose a nine-inning game with that many hits, that many walks and so few runs (h/t Codify Baseball on X/Twitter).

The Arizona Diamondbacks today became the 2nd team in MLB history to lose a 9-inning game in which they had 11 hits and 10 walks but failed to score 5 runs. pic.twitter.com/9hW56CSpVS
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 12, 2026

"I was proud of the guys for the way they kept building innings," manager Torey Lovullo said postgame, via the D-backs.TV broadcast.

"We throw up 21 baserunners and can't crack through so, it's one of the things we got to get better at. We're gonna continue to coach them up the best way we know how. If you were to tell me we'd have 21 base runners before the game I would tell you that we're gonna score 10 runs, at least."

The fact is, the Diamondbacks simply need these persistent RISP woes to evaporate somewhat quickly if they want to both make the playoffs and go on a deep run.

Situational hitting is of the utmost importance, and to fail to execute against a weak Rockies pitching staff is a bit concerning, though that can always change at a moment's notice with the star power available to Arizona.

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