Lars Nootbar and Corbin Carroll homer as Diamondbacks close out a steadier path to the Wild Card

The Diamondbacks took a meaningful step in the National League Wild Card picture, grinding out a win that was briefly threatened as the game’s momentum swung late. Even with the score becoming “nervy” at times, Arizona answered when it needed to and finished with enough run prevention to keep the margin intact.

At the top of the order, Lars Nootbar turned in what the report described as his best game at the plate since his trade to the Diamondbacks. He led off with a home run, setting the tone early and giving Arizona an immediate cushion to work from as the game developed.

The power did not stop there. Corbin Carroll also homered, extending the Diamondbacks’ ability to manufacture breathing room when their offense needed it most. For a team chasing playoff positioning, extra-base hits like those two can be the difference between surviving an inning and being forced to play catch-up for the final outs.

On the pitching side, the game’s shape shifted as the lineup turned over. Kohl Drake struggled, according to the report, which made the late innings more complicated for Arizona. The Diamondbacks then relied on multiple arms to stabilize, with the report crediting Gerardo Carrillo, Jonathan Loaisiga, Brandyn Garcia, Dennis Santana, and Juan Morillo for holding the opposition to five innings with no earned runs and only one hit allowed.

That bullpen performance mattered because the Wild Card standings context put pressure on every late-inning sequence. The report says the win also came as the Padres lost in their matchup, and that outcome allowed Arizona to gain a game on San Diego in the race. In a playoff chase where separation can be measured in small increments, “one game” can quickly become the swing factor between hosting a tiebreaker and needing more help.

For fans watching the remainder of the season, the key question is whether Arizona can pair early offensive impact with repeatable late-inning control. Nootbar’s early spark and Carroll’s homer were tangible markers, but Drake’s struggles and the game’s “nervy” development underline how thin the margin can be. The Diamondbacks, at minimum, demonstrated the ability to absorb a shaky moment and still finish with an effective bullpen answer.