Going into this series, the Diamondbacks magic number for a playoff spot is one.
That’s it.
One win or one Cubs loss sends them to the playoffs, at least a year ahead of schedule.
To get that one win, they have to go through the Astros, who have just as much, if not more, to play for than Arizona does right now. They hold a slim lead for the third WC spot in the AL over the Seattle Mariners. Unlike the Diamondbacks, however, they don’t own the tie breaker, having lost 9-3 against the Mariners in the regular season.