Regardless of how challenging the odds might be, the Arizona Diamondbacks plan to keep charging toward trying to gain a wild-card berth.
Arizona (74-75) will look to improve its chances when it plays the Minnesota Twins (65-83) on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.
The Diamondbacks held on to beat the Twins 5-2 in 10 innings Saturday to set up a rubber match in the series finale.
The Diamondbacks are two games behind in the race for the final wild-card spot in the National League. That is a slim margin on paper, but they are behind three teams — the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds.
“You would be happy to be a game or two out with a week left in the season, if you were a seller at the (trade) deadline,” said Diamondbacks reliever John Curtiss, who was Saturday’s winning pitcher.
“When I was with the Twins in 2017 or ’18, Joe Mauer said that all you can ask for in the postseason is a (poker) chip and a chair. (Right now), it’s like we have a chip and a chair. Let’s play cards and let’s just try to win.”
Diamondbacks right-hander Nabil Crismatt (2-0, 3.24 ERA) is set to make his sixth appearance overall and his fifth start of the season on Sunday. He has seven walks and 17 strikeouts in 25 innings.
Crismatt is coming off a pair of no-decisions. In his most recent start, he allowed four runs on six hits in four innings against the Giants in his team’s 11-5 loss.
This will be Crismatt’s first career start vs. the Twins. He has made two career relief appearances against them and did not record a decision while tossing two scoreless innings.
Meanwhile, Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (5-7, 5.08 ERA) will make his 25th start of the season. He has 105 strikeouts in 129 1/3 innings.
Ober will go for back-to-back victories after earning the win against the Kansas City Royals last Sunday in his most recent outing. He allowed one run on four hits in five innings, walked one and struck out six in a 5-1 triumph.
The performance helped Ober snap a four-month drought without earning a victory. Before last weekend’s start against the Royals, his last win took place May 3 against the Boston Red Sox.
The game also marked the first time Ober had Jhonny Pereda behind the plate with the Twins. He praised his new batterymate, and it is possible that the two will team up again Sunday.
“I thought he did a really good job being on the same page,” Ober said. “We were having dialogue in between innings. We had a plan going out there every single inning, which was great. He did a really good job.”
Ober has made one career start against the Diamondbacks. He drew a no-decision after allowing two runs on six hits in five innings for a 3.60 ERA.
Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers remains on the seven-day concussion injured list. He is expected to be out for Sunday’s series finale.
“I don’t have an update, like a true medical update,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “But I think he’s doing better. He’s doing more and he’s doing better.”
–Field Level Media
