After missing the last three games, Ketel Marte is back in the Diamondbacks starting lineup. Facing the left-hander Jeffrey Springs, Marte will bat leadoff as the designated hitter. First pitch at Tropicana Field will be at 1:10 P.M. MST.
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— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) August 17, 2024
Getting their best player back is going to be a pick-me-up for a team that badly needs one right now. On Friday, they let a winnable game slip by, as a 2-1 lead in the eighth became a walk-off loss. Marte reaggravated a left ankle injury on Monday, after suffering the initial injury in a collision with Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs. He was removed after just one at-bat. In his absence, Kevin Newman has gotten two starts and Blaze Alexander one.
Marte has been one of the best players in the National League this season, hitting .298 with 30 home runs and a 151 wRC+. Before Friday’s game, he hinted at a quick return to the lineup to reporters and was taking ground balls pregame. With Arizona currently tied for the top Wild Card spot and only three games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League West, it’s imperative their best player is able to perform down the stretch.
Diamondbacks Starting Pitcher: RHP Zac Gallen (9-5, 3.69 ERA)
It hasn’t been the typical Zac Gallen season, but he is still one of the Top 20 starters in the National League in 2024 with 2.1 fWAR despite only logging 105 innings. Coming off last night’s shocking loss to the Rays, the Diamondbacks will need their ace to pick them up and provide a quality outing following a loss.
Gallen left his last start due to cramps. He felt it attempting to field a ground ball off the bat of Bryce Harper and was immediately removed from the game by trainers. Gallen said after the game he didn’t expect to miss his next start.
Saturday will mark only the ninth start in which Arizona’s ace following a loss this season. In those previous eight starts, Gallen has pitched to a 3.38 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate and a 5.7% walk rate in 40 innings. One of those starts he came out after one batter and missed a month when his hamstring issue worsened. Discounting that start, Gallen is averaging less than six innings despite strong peripherals.
Gallen features a low-90s fastball that he can hump up to the 96-97 MPH range. However he’s the type of pitcher who walks his fastball around the zone and utilizes his plus knuckle-curve for swings and misses. He also features a cutter/slider hybrid that he manipulates the shape of based on the handedness of the hitter and a changeup.
Pregame Notes
- With his ninth-inning home run, Corbin Carroll has reached safely in his last 27 starts. (H/T Jody Jackson)
- Ketel Marte is slashing .360/.413/.707 against left-handed pitching this season. By FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric, Marte’s 203 mark is by far tops in the major leagues with at least 100 plate appearances vs. lefties. The Philadelphia Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber ranks second at 175, and is closer to 13th place than 1st.
- The Diamondbacks 9-series winning streak and 13-series streak of not losing a series will be on the line in this game. Since June 29, Arizona is 30-11. It is the best record in MLB over that stretch.
- Gallen is the last Diamondbacks pitcher to beat Tampa Bay, winning the first game of a three-game series loss at Chase Field last season.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
