The Arizona Diamondbacks look to make it five in a row this afternoon and complete the sweep of the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field.

Arizona now sits just 1.5 games behind the New York Mets for the third and final NL Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, the Giants have lost four straight and now trail by three games in the race.

The Diamondbacks have been doing exactly what they’ve needed to do ahead of a brutal closing stretch with series against the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres.

They’ve at least kept pace with the Mets, though New York has a slightly softer remaining schedule and regained momentum with an 8–3 win over San Diego last night.

San Francisco faces the formidable Dodgers next in a four-game set before finishing the season with lighter opponents in the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies. That makes today’s game close to a must-win, as dropping another before heading to Los Angeles could put them in a deeper hole.

The Giants send future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander to the mound. The 42-year-oldis just 3–10 on the season with a 3.94 ERA, but he has turned back the clock of late with a 1.12 ERA over his last four starts. In his most recent outing, he limited the Dodgers to one run and four hits over seven innings.

Brandon Pfaadt gets the start for the Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old enters at 13–8 with a 5.31 ERA, with five of those wins coming from an April in which he posted a 2.43 ERA over five starts. His season has been a mess since then, with a post-All-Star break ERA of 5.55. Pfaadt has struggled against the Giants this year, going 0–2 with eight runs allowed across 10 innings.

Prediction

The Giants are desperate, and Verlander has been pitching like an ace again. Against a struggling Pfaadt, San Francisco has the edge. Arizona’s hot streak may stall today as the Giants finally get the bounce-back they need.

Prediction: Giants 5, Diamondbacks 3

Starting Lineups

San Francisco Giants

1. Heliot Ramos – LF

2. Rafael Devers – 1B

3. Willy Adames – SS

4. Matt Chapman – 3B

5. Bryce Eldridge – DH

6. Jerar Encarnacion – RF

7. Patrick Bailey – C

8. Christian Koss – 2B

9. Drew Gilbert – CF

Starting Pitcher: Justin Verlander (3–10, 3.94 ERA)

Arizona Diamondbacks

1. Geraldo Perdomo – SS

2. Ketel Marte – 2B

3. Corbin Carroll – RF

4. Gabriel Moreno – DH

5. Blaze Alexander – 3B

6. James McCann – C

7. Alek Thomas – CF

8. Tim Tawa – 1B

9. Jake McCarthy – LF

Starting Pitcher: Brandon Pfaadt (13–8, 5.31 ERA)

How to Watch Giants vs. Diamondbacks

First pitch for this afternoon’s game between the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks is set for 3:40 PM Eastern / 12:40 PM Pacific at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The game airs nationally on MLB Network for out-of-market viewers and locally on NBC Sports Bay Area and Dbacks.TV. Out‑of‑market viewers can also stream via MLB.TV

Looking to catch the game for free? MLB Network is available via streaming on DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV, all of which offer free trials.

San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2025

First Pitch: 3:40 PM Eastern / 12:40 PM Pacific

Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

TV: MLB Network (out-of-market), NBC Sports Bay Area, Diamondbacks TV

Streaming: MLB.TV (out-of-market)