Diamondbacks’ Pavin Smith walks off Yankees on 2001 World Series celebration night

PHOENIX — On a night all about celebrating an Arizona Diamondbacks walk-off win over the New York Yankees in 2001, the Diamondbacks walked off the Yankees at Chase Field Saturday night, 5-3.

Instead of a Luis Gonzalez single into center field against Mariano Rivera, Pavin Smith played the role of walk-off hero with a two-run home run off Yankees reliever Michael Fulmer in front of a packed crowd for the 25th anniversary celebration of the 2001 team.

On the day the @Dbacks celebrate the 2001 World Series Champions, they walk-off the Yankees! pic.twitter.com/8iwz678wHU

— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2026

The D-backs improved to 81-74.

The Diamondbacks’ place in the standings is dire, as the victory snapped a three-game losing streak. The San Diego Padres walked off the Miami Marlins to prevent a too-good-to-be-true night for Arizona.

But given the atmosphere, opponent and D-backs’ fight to keep its fleeting playoff hopes alive, this was a baseball romantic’s-style victory even if it turns out to be too little too late.

“Special night,” starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt said. “A walk-off hit, I think that was pretty ironic.”

“That 2001 team is here, there was a ton of energy in the stadium,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “So maybe there was a little bit of magic somewhere in these rafters that everybody picked up on. It was a great win.”

Smith being the one to deliver the big knock was notable in of itself.

Pavin Smith, unlikely hero of the game

The first-round pick from a decade ago underwent elbow surgery to address bone chips, struggled mightily upon his return and was designated for assignment. No team claimed him, so he went back to Triple-A Reno for two months to find his swing.

Many fans have lost patience with the Smith experience, and there were some mixed boos and cheers when he came up to bat as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning against Fulmer.

The D-backs had a runner on first base with one out after Jordan Lawlar — who hit a two-run triple earlier — failed to get a bunt down.

In an 0-1 count, Fulmer threw Smith a cutter at the knees and over the plate, which Smith clubbed to right field. There was little doubt that ball was soaring over the fence. All walk-off home runs are meaningful, but that one meant a ton to a player who has gone through a trying time in his career.

“Felt really good,” Smith said. “There were lots of times this year when I didn’t feel like I could ever hit again. I think that happens to a lot of people, but I just didn’t have any timing coming back from the surgery.

“Being able to go down to Reno was good for me. … You get so caught up in seeing your numbers go down, looking at your numbers, it’s really hard to climb out of that hole.”

Winning the Cam Schlittler game

Arizona entered Saturday not only in a tumultuous spot in the National League Wild Card race but in this series alone. After a 9-2 beatdown from New York on Friday, the D-backs had to face American League Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler. The Yankees had won his last five starts.

Schlittler did not allow a hit until the fifth inning, but Pfaadt mostly matched him up until then. With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the fifth, Lovullo was aggressive to move to the bullpen and bring in Justin Martinez, who got out of the inning while letting in only one inherited runner on a sacrifice fly.

That was a significant moment in this game, when the Yankees could have broken out a sizable lead again with their ace ready to shut it down from there.

Nolan Arenado ended the no-hitter with a broken-bat single in the bottom half, and Tim Tawa bunted, reaching base on a Schlittler fielding error. With two outs, Lawlar ripped a 99 mph heater from Schlittler 104 mph off the bat to left-center field for his first career triple to take a 2-1 lead.

“We’re just trying to get guys in,” Lawlar said. “I swung through a couple of heaters up, just trying to get the ball down in the zone, especially off a guy with a fastball like that. And then just got a pitch I could handle and put a barrel on it.”

It did not last. A night after Lovullo stressed the importance of the shutdown inning after his offense scores, Kevin Ginkel allowed two solo home runs in the sixth inning.

Arizona got right back in, however, as Schlittler walked two hitters and gave up a game-tying sacrifice fly to Corbin Carroll.

Carroll has been woeful against high heat, but he smacked a 98 mph fastball way above the strike zone to deep left field. Schlittler had not allowed more than a single run in each of his last seven outings, and the D-backs tagged him for three runs in six frames (albeit, only one was earned).

After Ginkel, Arizona’s bullpen was terrific, as Brandyn Garcia and Juan Morillo threw three scoreless innings combined.

The Diamondbacks continue to need more for their stars, as Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte went 1-for-9 with a bunt single being the only hit. But the supporting cast and pitching staff were just good enough to set up a moment to take advantage of.

Where are the Diamondbacks in the standings?

Now, they have to keep pushing day-by-day to stay alive, going through the difficult task of not getting high or low based on what is happening in the league around them.

The D-backs trail the Philadelphia Phillies for the third NL Wild Card spot by four games. The Padres and Chicago Cubs are five ahead, although Chicago has the tiebreaker.

Arizona ends its season with three games in San Diego, putting pressure on the D-backs to make up two games on the Padres over the next four in order to have a prayer of sweeping that final set and sneaking into the playoffs.

A total collapse from Philadelphia would be helpful, but not having that head-to-head ability to make up ground presents a path that is difficult to see. Arizona would have the tiebreaker, though, so the Phillies’ struggles are at the very least something to watch.

“Our backs are against the wall. We know that,” Lovullo said. “We’ve got to get inside of a certain number. We know it. And this team is driving for something.”

Saturday attendance

47,918

Sunday starters

RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, 5.87) vs. RHP Will Warren (10-6, 3.89)

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