Diamondbacks beat the Rockies 5-3 to keep NL wild-card hopes alive

DENVER (AP) — Corbin Carroll had a two-run triple to cap a four-run first inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night.

Gabriel Moreno drove in the first run and finished with three hits to help Arizona (84-74) close within three games of the Phillies and Cubs for an NL wild card.

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Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Mason Adams works against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly works against the Colorado Rockies in the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Nolan Arenado watches his RBI single off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Mason Adams in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Corbin Carroll, right, breaks from the batter’s box after connecting for a triple to drive in two runs as Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman looks on in the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Moreno, with a .310 batting average, trails the Phillies’ Luis Arraez at .312 for the NL batting title with four games remaining.

Merrill Kelly (10-14) allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings to improve to 6-0 in nine starts at Coors Field since 2022. Jonathan Loáisiga earned his second save when he retired Ezequiel Tovar on a foul pop that first baseman Ildemaro Vargas caught at the railing with runners on second and third.

Ketel Marte reached second when Zac Veen misplayed his one-out liner to left field in the first and Moreno singled off rookie Mason Adams (0-2) two pitches later for the lead.

Nolan Arenado added an RBI single before Carroll hit his 17th triple — the most in the majors this season. The Rockies have allowed an MLB-high 131 first-inning runs.

Adams retired 13 straight following Carroll’s triple until Moreno singled leading off the sixth. All four runs off the right-hander were unearned. He allowed five hits and struck out eight in six innings for the first time in his six starts.

Adael Amador had an RBI double in the second and Hunter Goodman added a sacrifice fly in the third for the Rockies (57-101).

Tim Tawa hit his 11th homer off Mark Manfredi for a 5-2 lead in the eighth.

Tovar answered with his 12th home run of the season off Brandyn Garcia in the bottom of the inning.

Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (15-7, 2.89 ERA) starts Thursday opposite Rockies RHP Tanner Gordon (1-5, 6.01).

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Manny Machado homered and drove in three runs as the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 on Wednesday night to take sole possession of the top spot in the National League wild-card standings.

The loss snapped the NL West champions’ 11-game home winning streak and kept the Dodgers (97-61) from clinching at least the No. 2 seed in the National League and a first-round playoff bye. To secure that, they still need one win or an Atlanta loss.

The Padres (88-70) were prevented from clinching their franchise-record third consecutive playoff berth when Arizona beat Colorado 5-3. But they need just one win or a Diamondbacks loss to punch their ticket to the postseason.

San Diego leads Chicago (87-71) and Philadelphia (87-71) by one game for the first National League wild card, a spot that would bring home-field advantage throughout a best-of-three Wild Card Series.

In his return from the injured list, Shohei Ohtani went 1 for 4 with a single, a walk and two strikeouts for Los Angeles. He went down swinging with the bases loaded to end the fourth inning. His long drive to center field was caught near the wall leading off the eighth.

Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto (14-9) retired nine of his first 10 batters before the Padres got to him in the fourth and fifth innings of his final regular-season start.

San Diego grabbed a 2-0 lead on Machado’s 409-foot homer to center that scored Dustin Harris, who was hit by a pitch from Yamamoto leading off the fourth.

The Dodgers closed to 2-1 in the bottom half when Teoscar Hernández scored on Tommy Edman’s sacrifice fly on the first pitch from reliever David Morgan.

The Padres extended their lead to 4-1 in the fifth on Yamamoto’s second career throwing error and Machado’s shallow sacrifice fly.

Freddy Fermin’s RBI single in the ninth scored Samad Taylor, who walked and stole second and third on consecutive pitches by reliever Blake Treinen, making it 5-1.

Bradgley Rodriguez (4-3) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief.

San Diego starter Robbie Ray allowed one run and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings with two strikeouts. The left-hander needed 70 pitches to get through the first three innings.

Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (3-2, 3.30 ERA) starts Thursday in the series finale against RHP Tyler Glasnow (5-1, 3.46).

See AP’s full MLB coverage here