D-Backs win in extras, gain ground on Giants in NL West standings

Aug 1, 2023, 8:18 AM | Updated: 3:56 pm

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 31: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks completes the doubl...

(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Lead Editor & Kings Beat Writer

The sprint for the MLB Playoffs will be full of challenges for the San Francisco Giants, and Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks made it clear that the process will not be seamless.

Arizona overcame a 2-0 deficit in the sixth inning to push things to extra innings at Oracle Park before outlasting San Francisco 4-3 in the 11th to claim the first of this four-game set between National League West foes.

With the win, the Diamondbacks (57-50) pulled themselves within one game of the Giants (58-49) in the NL West standings.

The hottest player in baseball, Wilmer Flores 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NlCSpjJ5af

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 1, 2023

Although Wilmer Flores continued his red-hot stretch of play by drilling his 14th home run of the season during the bottom of the third inning, there wouldn’t be much of an offensive showcase for San Francisco on Monday.

Flores, who is hitting .397 with six home runs and 11 RBI over the past 20 games, posted one of the Giants’ five hits during the losing effort.

Once Arizona tied the game up at 2-2 in the sixth inning, San Francisco’s offense shut down, failing to post another hit during the final five innings.

The Diamondbacks took the lead for good during the 11th inning, while the Giants failed to bring the automatic runner home during their final at-bats.

Aside from July 26th’s eight-run performance against the lowly Oakland Athletics, San Francisco has not scored more than four runs in a game over the past two weeks. During that two-week span (12 games), the Giants are averaging 2.6 runs per game while batting .194 as a team.

With Tuesday’s 3 PM PST trade deadline quickly approaching, one must wonder if San Francisco will make a move to bolster its offense as the NL West race comes into a final sprint.

Updated NL West Standings

With 55 games remaining in the 2023 regular season, the race is on for the NL West crown.

The Giants enter play on Tuesday in second place, trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 2.5 games and sitting just one game ahead of Arizona, who could pass San Francisco if this four-game series goes their way.

San Francisco currently holds the top National League Wild Card spot, but if they want to take a run at the NL West title, the offense will have to brush off its recent rough stretch and start pushing runs across the board at a higher rate.