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PHOENIX — Still beaming over pitcher Dan Haren's shutout win Tuesday, Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder wasn't about to let one negative question spoil the fun.

"You knew the Dodgers had won …" came a media inquiry, and Snyder didn't let it finish.

"You love talking about the Dodgers, don't you? You love it," Snyder playfully interrupted the questioner. "It's … whatever."

Not only has Los Angeles' torrid success lately pushed the Diamondbacks to the brink of elimination, but the fact that the Dodgers are playing in the East this week makes it somewhat worse: Their two easy wins over Pittsburgh earlier this week were completed before darkness hit Chase Field.

So, having no choice but to think about the Dodgers, here's a few ways the Diamondbacks can do so over their final 11 games of the regular season:

Think mathematically. When asked about the Diamondbacks' chances to win the National League West, injured outfielder Eric Byrnes offered only this less-than-encouraging statement:

"Do the math," Byrnes said.

It isn't pretty, of course. But it is mathematically possible.

The Diamondbacks have a chance to catch the Dodgers by possibilities such as this: Going 7-4 while Los Angeles goes 3-7, or 8-3 while L.A. goes 4-6, then beating the Dodgers in a one-game playoff.

Likely? No. But the Dodgers did lose 10 of 11 in late August before their recent surge.

Think slow. But trying to accomplish all that immediately is not a good idea, either. The cliché definitely applies here: one game at a time.

"We can't win 15 games in a row right now," Haren said. "We've just got to try to win one, then go from there. We've dug ourselves a hole."

Think of the scores. The Dodgers aren't just looming over the Diamondbacks' shoulders figuratively. They're doing so literally, too: Other scores light up a Chase Field wall high along the left field stands, behind most D-back players. And, while the Dodgers have taken two of three from Pittsburgh this week with one more today, those scores were already ratcheting up during batting practice.

So the D-backs might as well use that to their advantage, manager Bob Melvin said.

"When you know early on that they've won, it puts a little more pressure on you," Melvin said. "Maybe it makes you focus a little more, I don't know. But I think we need to start playing better first before we can get too fixated on the scoreboard."

Think of the Rockies. Arizona was 4 1/2 games out of first place with 13 to go entering Wednesday's games. But last season with 13 to play, the Colorado Rockies were the exact same number of games behind San Diego in the wild card race.

Yet the Rockies tied for the wild card spot, beat the Padres in a one-game playoff, then beat the Phillies and D-backs in the playoffs to reach the World Series.

"Stranger things in sports have happened," Byrnes said. "You never know."

Think about good times. Whatever they do, Snyder said, obsessing about the race won't help. There are other things to focus on during the final days of the season.

"It's always more fun when you win," Snyder said. "But even if it's going bad we've still got to enjoy the last bit of the season. Anything can happen. It's a crazy game. We've just got to enjoy it."