• Archie Bradley answers questions from reporters – and J.D. Martinez

    Archie Bradley answers questions from reporters – and J.D. Martinez

  • Torey Lovullo after D-Backs avoid sweep in San Diego

    Torey Lovullo after D-Backs avoid sweep in San Diego

  • Torey Lovullo on recent offensive struggles after loss to Padres

    Torey Lovullo on recent offensive struggles after loss to Padres

  • A.J. Pollock on his two-homer game vs. Padres

    A.J. Pollock on his two-homer game vs. Padres

  • D-Backs' Zack Godley after loss to Padres

    D-Backs’ Zack Godley after loss to Padres

  • Patrick Corbin on mistakes vs. Padres

    Patrick Corbin on mistakes vs. Padres

  • Torey Lovullo on D-Backs' loss to Padres

    Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ loss to Padres

  • Taijuan Walker on shaky outing vs. Giants

    Taijuan Walker on shaky outing vs. Giants

  • Torey Lovullo after loss to Giants

    Torey Lovullo after loss to Giants

  • Zack Greinke after 2-0 win over Giants

    Zack Greinke after 2-0 win over Giants

  • Torey Lovullo on Greinke's dominant start vs. Giants

    Torey Lovullo on Greinke’s dominant start vs. Giants

  • Robbie Ray after 10-strikeout game vs. Giants

    Robbie Ray after 10-strikeout game vs. Giants

  • Archie Bradley on baseball and beards

    Archie Bradley on baseball and beards

  • Torey Lovullo on Pollock's two-run double, Ray's outing

    Torey Lovullo on Pollock’s two-run double, Ray’s outing

  • Shot Clock: D-Backs' Archie Bradley talks football

    Shot Clock: D-Backs’ Archie Bradley talks football

  • Zack Godley on his outing against the Rockies

    Zack Godley on his outing against the Rockies

  • Torey Lovullo on big win over Rockies

    Torey Lovullo on big win over Rockies

  • Paul Goldschmidt downplays his 1,000th career hit

    Paul Goldschmidt downplays his 1,000th career hit

  • Lovullo discusses his team's win over the Rockies

    Lovullo discusses his team’s win over the Rockies

  • D-Backs' A.J. Pollock on his three-hit night

    D-Backs’ A.J. Pollock on his three-hit night

  • Patrick Corbin on his outing against the Rockies

    Patrick Corbin on his outing against the Rockies

  • Shot Clock: D-Backs stay ahead of Rockies?

    Shot Clock: D-Backs stay ahead of Rockies?

  • Torey Lovullo on loss to Rockies

    Torey Lovullo on loss to Rockies

  • J.D. Martinez following D-Backs' loss to Rockies

    J.D. Martinez following D-Backs’ loss to Rockies

  • Taijuan Walker on his outing against the Rockies

    Taijuan Walker on his outing against the Rockies

  • Diamondbacks' rally falls short against Rockies

    Diamondbacks’ rally falls short against Rockies

  • Robbie Ray on his outing vs. Padres

    Robbie Ray on his outing vs. Padres

  • Manager Torey Lovullo on D-Backs' win, Bradley's save

    Manager Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ win, Bradley’s save

  • Diamondbacks react to 'tough' loss to Padres

    Diamondbacks react to ‘tough’ loss to Padres

  • Coyotes take batting practice at Chase Field

    Coyotes take batting practice at Chase Field

  • Torey Lovullo on the end of the D-Backs' win streak

    Torey Lovullo on the end of the D-Backs’ win streak

  • Paul Goldschmidt says his elbow is structurally sound

    Paul Goldschmidt says his elbow is structurally sound

  • Zack Greinke after D-Backs' win over Dodgers

    Zack Greinke after D-Backs’ win over Dodgers

  • Torey Lovullo on D-Backs' record-tying 12th consecutive win

    Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ record-tying 12th consecutive win

  • Shot Clock: JD rocks LA; Cards chase Seattle

    Shot Clock: JD rocks LA; Cards chase Seattle

  • J.D. Martinez on his four-homer night vs. Dodgers

    J.D. Martinez on his four-homer night vs. Dodgers

  • Paul Goldschmidt talks about his sore right elbow

    Paul Goldschmidt talks about his sore right elbow

  • Torey Lovullo on J.D. Martinez's four-homer performance

    Torey Lovullo on J.D. Martinez’s four-homer performance

  • Robbie Ray after striking out career-high 14 vs. Dodgers

    Robbie Ray after striking out career-high 14 vs. Dodgers

  • Torey Lovullo on D-Backs' 10th consecutive win

    Torey Lovullo on D-Backs’ 10th consecutive win

  • Zack Godley on wild yet effective outing vs. Rockies

    Zack Godley on wild yet effective outing vs. Rockies

SAN DIEGO – Before the Diamondbacks faced the Rockies last week at Chase Field, they briefly considered the idea of steering right-hander Zack Greinke away from the series, a way of shielding him from the team he might face in the wild-card game next month.

Ultimately, they decided against it, starting Greinke in the first game of that series. Though Greinke wound up losing, Lovullo is glad they played it that way.

“We just felt like it would have been a crazy assumption on our part to do that,” Lovullo said. “I’m glad we stayed in line. As it turned out, that was a huge series when the Rockies came to town.”

The Diamondbacks lost the first two games of that series – including the one started by Greinke – before recovering to win the final two. They entered Wednesday night’s game against the Padres with a five-game lead over the Rockies for the top wild-card spot.

Greinke is scheduled to make two more starts before lining up to take the ball in the Oct. 4 wild-card game on six days of rest. Lovullo joked about the way Greinke’s schedule has played out – “Sometimes things line up in mysterious ways,” he said – but quickly acknowledged that it’s not a coincidence.

As for Greinke facing the Rockies last week, Lovullo said that unlike in spring training, when teams steer pitchers away from opponents they might face early in the regular season, there was still too much on the line to focus too much on a postseason matchup.

“Everybody’s got all their chips in the middle of the table right now,” he said. “We can’t start to reverse things or change things or hide things. It’s not a time to get cute. It’s a time to get out there and lay it down and play the baseball we know how.”

Lovullo didn’t rule out the idea of rearranging his pitching staff for the final games of the season if the Diamondbacks do clinch a spot.

They entered Wednesday night’s game against the Padres with their magic number at six.

MORE: Jimmie Sherfy gaining traction in Diamondbacks’ bullpen

MORE: Diamondbacks face history-chasing Giancarlo Stanton next

 

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