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Pavin Smith walks off Yankees, Diamondbacks stay in wild card race
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- Pavin Smith walks off Yankees, Diamondbacks stay in wild card race
The night was already packed with emotion, so it figured that the Diamondbacks - Yankees game on Saturday, Sept. 19, would be dramatic, too.
Pavin Smith 's walkoff two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth sent the Diamondbacks to a 5-3 win they desperately needed, on the night the organization celebrated the 25thanniversary of the Diamondbacks' only World Series title.
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Smith launched an 0-1 pitch from Yankees reliever Michael Fulmer over the fence in right field for the victory. It was Smith's second career walkoff home run, and the sixth such home run of the season for Arizona , which leads the major leagues and is a franchise record.
For Smith, his game winner was special after a season of more downs than ups for the veteran. Expected to be a main option at DH with some action at first base at the outset of the season, Smith wound up going on the injured list because he needed elbow surgery.
When he returned in June, sooner than expected, Smith struggled mightily at the plate and was eventually designated for assignment, then outrighted to Triple-A Reno. Last week, he was brought back up to the majors and, pinch-hitting in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday, delivered in a big way.
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"Anytime you're coming off the bench, I feel like you want to be aggressive, you don't want to just get in a hole," Smith said.
"It felt really good. There's lots of times this year where it didn't feel like I could ever hit again," Smith added. "I think that happens to a lot of people. Just didn't have any timing coming back from the surgery and then being able to go down to Reno was good for me. Just to be able to trust that that was going to be a good thing. Didn't complain about it and was able to work through it and kind of find myself again."
The Diamondbacks (81-74) rallied from deficits of 1-0 and 3-2 to find themselves four games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the last wild card spot in the National League. They are five games behind the San Diego Padres , who have moved into the second wild card spot.
Jordan Lawlar 's two-out, two-run triple in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead. But the Yankees tagged Diamondbacks reliever Kevin Ginkel for two solo home runs in the top of the sixth, giving New York the lead again.
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The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth, with two walks and a single. Corbin Carroll 's sacrifice fly tied the score at 3, but Nolan Arenado and Tim Tawa struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Diamondbacks had runners on first and second with two outs, but Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn struck out Tawa looking.
Right-hander Juan Morillo earned the victory in relief for Arizona, to improve to 5-4.
"Great moment for Pavin, even greater moment for this team," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "I'm watching every player sell out to whatever it's going to take to help us win a baseball game. They are fighting with everything they have, and it's very inspiring."
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The Yankees loaded the bases on three singles in the fifth off right-hander Brandon Pfaadt , prompting Lovullo to make an aggressive move to his bullpen. Right-hander Justin Martinez entered and recorded two fly-ball outs, the first of which, by Ben Rice , was deep enough to score the first run of the night.
"He's been dominant, so that's kind of the guy I want coming in in that situation," Pfaadt said of Martinez.
The game started about a half-hour late after a lengthy pregame ceremony honoring the Diamondbacks' 2001 World Series team.
With former radio voice Greg Schulte hosting the ceremony, the Diamondbacks introduced players, coaches and staff from the '01 team. Randy Johnson was the last one announced. While everyone else entered the field from beyond the right-field fence, Johnson came out of the home bullpen in left field, a call back to his relief appearance in Game 7 of the World Series.
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One of the memorable moments of the pregame ceremony was when trumpeter Dr. Jesse McGuire, performing the national anthem as he did at the World Series in 2001, hit a sour note on his instrument. Then the trumpet gave out completely, and McGuire acted quickly by grabbing the microphone and singing the rest of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Afterward, he tossed his trumpet to the ground and received a hug from Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo as the crowd cheered.
"There was a ton of energy in the stadium, so maybe there was a little magic somewhere in these rafters that everybody picked up on," Lovullo said.
— Jose M. Romero and Nick Piecoro
Torey Lovullo weighs in on job status
With his team teetering on the brink of elimination, Lovullo's job status is again a topic of discussion. Lovullo understands. For him, it's nothing new.
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"It seems to be a very important part of the conversation for a lot of people," Lovullo said on Saturday, Sept. 19, a day after his team lost for the third consecutive day to drop five games out of a playoff spot with eight games remaining.
"For me, it's real, I understand it, but it's the realities of this game. You've got to win. That's what it comes down to. Have we won enough? You know, I want to win every game that we play."
Lovullo, in his 10th season as Diamondbacks manager, has worked as a "lame-duck" manager in four of the past six seasons. He seemed to reference that history, as well as the fact that he had to "fight for everything" during his playing career.
But he said that, for now, at least, he remains focused on doing what he can to help his players and coaches finish out the season.
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"When it's time to worry about it or think about it, whether that's sooner than later, I will," he said. "I've got to do my job. If I'm worried about different things that I can't control, then I'm not doing my job for that group in there. I'm doing fine. I'm doing fine. Because I've lived in this space for a long time. I understand the playbook. I understand the realities of this game."
Last year, Lovullo went into the final weekend of the year with similar questions surrounding him. He found out a day after the season ended that he would be coming back for another year.
The situation is believed to be similar to then: Lovullo has strong support from the baseball operations department and general manager Mike Hazen, but how he is viewed by ownership is less certain.
Lovullo has two postseason appearances — 2017 and 2023 — during his managerial tenure, but he also has presided over multiple late-season collapses. If this year's team continues to stumble, it would mark a third consecutive year the Diamondbacks fell short in September.
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Hazen is working under the five-year extension he signed in September 2023. His deal runs through 2028.
The Diamondbacks entered Saturday, Sept. 19, facing long odds at a postseason berth. FanGraphs put their chances at claiming a wild-card spot at about 5%.
— Nick Piecoro
Justin Martinez leaves impression on manager
Members of the 2001 Diamondbacks World Series team milled about in front of the home dugout at Chase Field on Friday, Sept. 18, catching up, taking photos and conducting interviews.
Martinez walked among them, asking each one he approached to sign a baseball. The Diamondbacks reliever later put the ball in a case he had with him in the team clubhouse.
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Lovullo said Martinez seeking autographs of veterans is a throwback to a previous generation of players.
"I love it," Lovullo said. "There was probably seven fistfights between those teammates, fistfights don't happen anymore. It's just a different level of camaraderie. But players care about the same thing, and that's to win the world championship.
"So 'J-Mart' was probably just getting a feel for the common denominator based on what drove that team, and that's a brotherhood that you can't replace."
Lovullo added that he's happy that the current team has players that are fans of baseball on that level.
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"That he gets to touch their emotions makes it even better. That's vintage J-Mart," Lovullo said.
— José M. Romero
Coming up
Sunday, Sept. 20:At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, 5.87) vs. Yankees RHP Will Warren (10-6, 3.89).
Monday, Sept. 21:Off.
Tuesday, Sept. 22:At Colorado , 5:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Michael Soroka (8-5, 3.45) vs. Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (4-10, 6.38).
Wednesday, Sept. 23:At Colorado, 5:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (9-14, 5.00) vs. Rockies RHP Mason Adams (0-1, 5.09).
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pavin Smith walks off Yankees, Diamondbacks stay in wild card race
