The Philadelphia Phillies (91‑62) travel to Chase Field to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks (77‑76) as the MLB regular season heads into its final stretch.

The Phillies have already locked up the NL East but want to keep rolling. They just took two out of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers, putting on a show at Chavez Ravine and showing that they’re playoff-ready.

Arizona, meanwhile, is battling for the final NL Wild Card spot. They’re just two games behind the New York Mets, remaining in striking distance with nine games to go.

Given the way the Mets have been playing since the late summer, anything can happen. But the Diamondbacks are in a four-way race for that final Wild Card spot, with the Cincinnati Reds also two games behind New York and the San Francisco Giants three games out.

The challenge for Arizona is their brutal schedule down the stretch — after this series against Philadelphia, they face both the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres.

That makes tonight’s opener critical. Ryne Nelson gets the ball for the Diamondbacks. The right-hander is 7-3 with a 3.34 ERA and has been steady since joining the rotation in July.

He’s been especially sharp in September, giving up just five runs across his last four starts (24 innings) against tough lineups like Boston and Milwaukee.

For the Phillies, Taijuan Walker takes the mound. After a promising return to the rotation, Walker has struggled in September, posting a 7.80 ERA across three starts.

Prediction

The Diamondbacks are desperate, and Nelson has been trending upward at the right time. Arizona capitalizes on their urgency and Walker’s struggles.

Prediction: Diamondbacks 5, Phillies 3

Starting Lineups

Philadelphia Phillies

1. Harrison Bader — CF

2. Kyle Schwarber — DH

3. Bryce Harper — 1B

4. J.T. Realmuto — C

5. Brandon Marsh — LF

6. Alec Bohm — 3B

7. Max Kepler — RF

8. Weston Wilson — 2B

9. Bryson Stott — SS

Starting Pitcher: Taijuan Walker (RHP) — 5‑8, 4.17 ERA

Arizona Diamondbacks

1. Geraldo Perdomo — SS

2. Ketel Marte — 2B

3. Corbin Carroll — RF

4. Gabriel Moreno — C

5. Blaze Alexander — 3B

6. Adrian Del Castillo — DH

7. Alek Thomas — CF

8. Tim Tawa — 1B

9. Jake McCarthy — LF

Starting Pitcher: Ryne Nelson (RHP) — 7‑3, 3.34 ERA

How to Watch Phillies vs. Diamondbacks

First pitch for tonight’s Phillies-Diamondbacks is set for 9:40 PM Eastern / 6:40 PM Pacific at Chase Field in Phoenix.

The game airs live on MLB Network nationally (out-of-market only) and NBC Sports Philadelphia and Dbacks.TV locally.

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

And viewers in Phoenix can also catch the game live on 12 News KPNX, which is available for free via antenna or at no additional cost via most cable, satellite, and live TV streaming packages.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Date: Friday, September 19, 2025

First Pitch: 9:40 PM Eastern

Venue: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ

TV: MLB Network (out-of-market only), NBC Sports Philadelphia, Dbacks.TV, 12 News KPNX (Phoenix)

Streaming: MLB.TV