Happy Thursday! The weekend is right around the corner, along with some … gasp … rain?! Here’s hoping.

I’ll get to the Diamondbacks below, but first, how have you been coping with the “nonsoon” so far this summer? I’ll be honest, up until the last two weeks or so this summer has not seemed too bad, and with Halloween stuff starting to pop up in stores across The Valley, there’s most definitely a light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally, make sure you tune in to Southwest Bias today at 11 am to catch Suns owner Mat Ishbia. I’ll have some highlights in tomorrow’s edition of the PHNX Sports Daily, but you don’t want to miss this!

On to the show!

Marte, Diamondbacks Still Showing Fight in Challenging Season

Ketel Marte sure has a flare for the dramatic, and the Diamondbacks have a sliver of hope because of it.

Marte has brought the D-backs back from the dead with two-out ninth-inning home runs in consecutive games — a solo shot on Tuesday and a three-run bomb yesterday. Even more captivating, the switch-hitting All-Star hit them from different sides of the plate.

That’s crazy. If I ever try to hit lefty, I make a fool of myself.

Marte wins baseball games.

The come-from-behind mentality has been a staple of the Diamondbacks, aka the answer-backs, dating back to their magical World Series run in 2023. Marte was 4-for-5 yesterday with four RBI, and he has driven in 10 runs over his last five games.

Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, the D-backs have won four of those games, and five of their last six overall.

Arizona has captured three of its last four series, and though a 10-game NL West deficit is almost assuredly too much to climb, the Diamondbacks are just six games out of the final Wild Card spot with a 59-62 record.

Can they actually do this?

Remaining Schedule Offers Slim Opportunities to Make Up Ground

For one: Probably not, especially after selling at the deadline. Arizona’s offense has rarely been an issue (sure, there have been a few blips here and there), while the pitching has remained suspect all season.

Even so, there’s most definitely a mathematical chance. The Diamondbacks have the seventh-most difficult schedule remaining in MLB per tankathon, though their next matchup is a four-game set at Colorado (32-88), who they just swept in Phoenix.

Notable remaining series remaining against quality opponents:

• 4 games vs. Milwaukee Brewers (76-44 and they may never lose again)
• 3 games vs. Philadelphia (69-51, leading NL East)
• 3 games vs. San Diego (69-32, leading NL West)
• 6 games vs. L.A. Dodgers (68-53, 2nd in NL West)
• 3 games vs. Boston (66-56, 2nd in AL East)
• 3 games vs. Cincinnati (64-58, 4th in NL Central)

Some winnable series coming up:

• 4 games vs. Colorado
• 3 games vs. Minnesota (56-63, 4th in AL Central)
• 6 games vs. San Francisco (59-62, 4th in NL West)

Moreover, some of the Diamondbacks’ young pitchers have truly been impressive lately. Reliever Andrew Hoffman, for example, has been superb since arriving from Kansas City as part of the Grichuk deal, posting a 2.08 ERA and 0.69 WHIP while striking out five in four games, a span of 4 1/3 innings.

Lefty Andrew Saalfrank has been even more dominant, as he has allowed literally just one earned run since returning from a one-year suspension on July 12. His numbers are fantastic — 0.64 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with nine strikeouts in 14 innings of work. He earned his first career save in yesterday’s win over Texas.

Juan Burgos, John Curtiss and Jalen Beeks have also been excellent as of late, as well.

My Take: The Diamondbacks entered 2025 with grand expectations and have fallen short, but this recent surge has given fans plenty of reason to keep tuning in. Marte’s clutch hitting has reignited excitement for an offense that struggled in mid-July, and though their postseason odds were at just 1.3 percent heading into yesterday’s win vs. the Rangers, the great Lloyd Christmas once summed it up best:

So you’re telling me there’s a chance!

Sneak Peek: The Suns released their NBA Cup schedule, which will be played in late October. Phoenix will face Utah, Minnesota, Sacramento and Oklahoma City, and with any luck, will qualify for the knockout rounds (and beyond) in December.

The Suns’ remaining schedule drops today, and make sure to stay tuned in to our PHNX Suns crew, which will have updates and reactions throughout the day.

COLLEGE SPORTS ARE BACK: Welcome back, college sports! The ASU women’s soccer team kicks off its schedule tonight at home against Nevada (7 pm, ESPN+), looking to build on its 8-8-3 finish last season. The Sun Devils are coming out of the gate against some top-tier competition, including a matchup next Thursday against Texas in Austin.

Feeling Rebellious?: The Arizona women’s soccer team also starts its regular season schedule tonight, hosting UNLV at 7 pm (ESPN+). The Wildcats finished 11-6-2 last season, losing in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament to Baylor, and will also host UC Irvine on Sunday before finishing their August schedule on the road for three games.

Tip Of The Hat By Branded Bills

Can’t stop watching this on repeat