After dropping the opener, the Los Angeles Dodgers responded with back-to-back wins to avoid a disappointing series loss to the San Diego Padres. It was punctuated with a 14-0 victory on Fan Appreciation Day at Dodger Stadium that also impacted the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Prior to their score going final — a loss and sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies — the Diamondbacks were officially eliminated from postseason contention because of wins by the St. Louis Cardinals and Dodgers.
It marks a jarring turn in a 2018 season that saw the Diamondbacks sitting atop the National League West standings for four months. They stormed into first place behind a 21-8 start to the season, marking the best in franchise history.
Their largest lead in the NL West was six games. Facing a difficult stretch of games in September saw the Diamondbacks begin a slide that ultimately spelled their demise.
Through games played Sunday, they have lost three in a row and are just 5-16 during the month. Included in that is a combined 1-8 mark against the Dodgers and Rockies, who both remain alive in the NL West race.
Despite their reality, the Diamondbacks can still factor heavily into the division. They begin a three-game series with the Dodgers on Monday, the results of which can swing the NL West pendulum one way or the other.
Arizona is 9-7 against Los Angeles this season.
