The Diamondbacks were three outs away from another frustrating loss, but Ketel Marte had other ideas. His go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth inning off former teammate Jake Diekman propelled Arizona to a 5-4 win over the New York Mets to force a series split at Citi Field.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This had the looks of a disappointing loss, but Ketel Marte had other ideas. Marte has reached in all 5 PA, with 2 go-ahead homers. pic.twitter.com/jhwXDYLxAN
— Michael McDermott (@MichaelMcDMLB) June 2, 2024
“The thought was to stay short, thinking through the middle, and I got a good pitch to hit,” said Marte through interpreter Rolando Valles. “Made solid contact, not intentionally trying to go long.”
The home run capped a big day for Marte, who reached in all five trips to the plate on three hits, two home runs, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch. Perhaps it’s fitting the man who wears No. 4 for the Diamondbacks had a big game, both at the plate and in the field, on a day that Major League Baseball celebrates the career of Lou Gehrig. For manager Torey Lovullo, nothing Marte does surprises him anymore.
“He can change games with one swing of the bat, or one great defensive play, and he wants to be in the middle of everything. That’s his personality, that’s who he is at his core.”
The game started off very well for the Diamondbacks, taking a 2-0 lead just three batters into the game. Marte led off the game with a home run to left center, then Lourdes Gurriel Jr. smashed another. They scratched across another run in the third, when Kevin Newman’s ground ball drove in Eugenio Suárez, who walked to lead off the second inning.
While the Diamondbacks built up a quick lead, Brandon Pfaadt looked excellent out of the game. He easily retired the first six Mets batters he faced, including four straight strikeouts. However, his location slipped in the third inning. He allowed a leadoff double to Tyrone Taylor, then retired Jeff McNeil on a fly ball to right. Facing the No. 9 hitter, Luis Torrens, Pfaadt inexplicably walked him on four pitches, setting up the inning for the top of the Mets order. Three straight two-out hits, including back-to-back triples from Brandon Nimmo and J.D. Martinez, gave the Mets a 4-3 lead.
Despite getting hit by the big inning, Pfaadt refused to allow that to define his start. Despite taking one on the chin in the third, the right-hander recovered and put up zeros in the fourth, fifth, and sixth inning, allowing just three baserunners the rest of the way. A key double play and a couple of strikeouts ended his start on a strong note. Pfaadt has pitched at least five innings in all 12 of his starts in 2024 and extended his streak of consecutive starts with at least six innings pitched to seven.
“He threw his butt off, he gave us six quality innings on a day where we might have been a little strung out in the bullpen,” said Lovullo.
Picking up where Pfaadt left off, Justin Martinez showed his electric stuff for two more innings. He retired all six batters faced, including striking out Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo on splitters in the eighth inning. Martinez has done a much better job of limiting walks in recent appearances, with just six in his last 14 2/3 innings pitched while also logging 19 strikeouts. Marte’s go-ahead blast earned him his second win of the season.
Trailing by one entering the ninth inning, Lovullo sent Gabriel Moreno to the plate to hit for Tucker Barnhart. Working to a 2-2 count, Moreno drove a ball off the right field wall to put the tying run in scoring position with no outs. That set the stage for Marte, who took a 2-2 sweeper at the bottom of the zone and drove it out of the ballpark to left center. It was the Diamondbacks’ only hit with a runner in scoring position on the day.
Armed with a one-run lead, Paul Sewald retired the Mets in order, securing his fifth save of the season.
“I’m proud of these guys, they fought as hard as they could down to the final out, there was no quit in them,” said Lovullo. “It’s one of the wonderful and great characteristics of this team, it’s their grittiness that shows up all the time.”
Perhaps it’s fitting that No. 4 for the #Dbacks had a monster game on a day that MLB celebrates the life and career of Lou Gehrig. https://t.co/QXyHX3q0ff
— Michael McDermott (@MichaelMcDMLB) June 2, 2024
The Diamondbacks now sit at 27-32, salvaging a 2-4 road trip after an 0-4 start. They’ll return to Arizona with confidence as they’ll play two critical series against the San Francisco Giants at home, and then the San Diego Padres on the road. Ryne Nelson (3-4, 6.02 ERA) will start for the Diamondbacks, while the Giants have yet to name a starter. First pitch at Chase Field will be at 6:40 P.M. MST.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
