SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks missed the playoffs for the eighth time in nine seasons, losing 9-4 Sunday to the postseason-bound San Diego Padres shortly after the Philadelphia Phillies won to clinch the final NL wild card spot.
The Diamondbacks (86-76) began the regular season's final day with the chance to advance if they won and the Phillies lost, but neither happened. Arizona made a six-win improvement on last season's 80-82 mark, but a stunning World Series run in 2023 remains its only postseason appearance since 2017 despite five winning records in that stretch.
Gavin Sheets homered and Freddy Fermin drove in three runs for the Padres, who rested Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Xavier Bogaerts in their meaningless season finale. San Diego locked up the top NL wild card berth on Saturday before finishing 91-71, topping last year’s 90-win campaign with a club-record fifth consecutive winning season.
!role~Preview!mt~photo!fmt~JPEG%20Baseline)