The defending National League champions have won four more games than last year.

Still, the Diamondbacks must beat the majors’ hottest team since the All-Star break to secure a spot in next week’s wild-card round.

Anything less than that and the Diamondbacks will need help from Milwaukee and Kansas City this weekend. Or they have to sit in front of the TV on Monday when the Mets and Braves play a doubleheader in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

This is where manager Torey Lovullo will find his team when the Padres travel for the final weekend of the regular season.

“I think we’re in a good position,” Lovullo told reporters Wednesday night after an 8-2 victory over the Giants that eliminated three games. “We were in a good situation. We’ve just hit a bit of a speed bump.”

The timing was almost catastrophic.