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Diamondbacks Beat Nationals, Extend Wild-Card Lead

7/25/2026

31 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Rodríguez Earns Win

On July 24, 2026, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Washington Nationals 3-2, with All-Star left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez (9-3) earning the win.
Gabriel Moreno supplied the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
Paul Sewald closed the game, recording his 24th save for Arizona.
The victory gave Arizona its fourth straight win, keeping the final NL wild-card spot while five teams remain within four games.

Summary

Butera Warns

Manager Blake Butera warned the weekend series, amid Washington’s 20-31 home record, will influence the trade-deadline strategy.
President Paul Toboni said he may target arms like Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers or Joe Ryan.
A series loss could trigger the sale of Foster Griffin and Luis Garcia Jr. and spark CJ Abrams trade talks, while a sweep would lift Washington to 55-51, secure NL wild-card spot and strengthen Toboni’s case.

History

Historical Context

The Arizona Diamondbacks were granted an expansion franchise on March 9 1995, began play in 1998, and in their fourth season (2001) defeated the three-time defending New York Yankees to become the fastest expansion team to win a World Series. That rapid rise, built on a $130 million franchise fee and aggressive payroll, set a precedent for later Arizona-Washington matchups that echo the 2001 championship drive.

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Rodríguez Earns Win

On July 24, 2026, the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Washington Nationals 3-2, with All-Star left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez (9-3) earning the win.
Gabriel Moreno supplied the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
Paul Sewald closed the game, recording his 24th save for Arizona.
The victory gave Arizona its fourth straight win, keeping the final NL wild-card spot while five teams remain within four games.

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