Yardbarker
x
Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte Crushes Mammoth Game-Winning Homer
Aug 11, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) bats against the Texas Rangers during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In the ninth inning of a tight 2-2 contest against the Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo had had enough.

After Geraldo Perdomo was rung up on a called strike three that appeared to be below the zone, Lovullo unloaded on home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson, who promptly ejected the manager from the game.

One batter later, Ketel Marte would have his skipper's (and his team's) back. Marte blasted a towering home run to left field, giving Arizona a two-out 3-2 lead.

The homer flew nearly 112 MPH off Marte's bat, traveling 445 feet deep.

"I was just going out there and trying to do my best on the field, trying to get on base and put my best swing," Marte said to D-backs.TV's Jody Jackson postgame.

"As a player, we never want the manager thrown out. But it's part of the game, Torey just protects everybody. ... I'll just go out there and compete.

"We've been playing a lot of good games... Today we come back, we do [our] best out there, and then we got the win," Marte said.

Marte was not done putting his fingerprints on Tuesday's win, however.

A sliding snag on a hard-hit ground ball helped rookie flamethrower Juan Morillo record his first career save, as the D-backs evened their three-game series with the Rangers.

"That's who I am, that's the kind of player I am," Marte said. "I work hard with [infield coach Shaun Larkin], and also I want to win a gold glove one time."

Arizona will face their former long-time veteran starter Merrill Kelly on Wednesday in search of a series win.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Offense Does Just Enough

Despite the eventual win, Arizona's offense had difficulty coming away with the big hit. They went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, stranding nine batters.

Blaze Alexander hit his fourth homer in his last nine games to even the score at 1-1 in the second inning, but the D-backs still faced a thin 2-1 deficit heading into the seventh inning.

From there, chaos arose. Jose Herrera reached second base after a puzzling throwing error by right-hander Robert Garcia on a weak ground ball. Perdomo reached first on another error — this time by Josh Jung — after laying down a bunt.

Marte then hit a chopper to second base. He raced out of the box, and was just able to beat the throw for an RBI single.

The All-Star second baseman was 2-for-4 with two RBI, including the winning homer. First baseman Tyler Locklear appears to be finding a rhythm, going 2-for-4 himself.

Arizona Diamondbacks' Pitching Staff Puts Forward Solid Effort

The Diamondbacks were looking for as much length as possible out of Anthony DeSclafani, but didn't quite get it.

The veteran right-hander didn't have what would be considered an exceptionally poor outing, giving up two earned runs on three hits and two walks. He only managed to complete three innings on 52 pitches (29 strikes).

DeSclafani loaded the bases and gave up a sac fly in the third inning, giving Texas a 2-1 lead, but worked out of the inning without a crooked number.

Lovullo quickly turned to long man Jake Woodford out of the bullpen to begin the fourth inning.

Woodford performed admirably, throwing 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. He allowed one base hit and one walk, helping to bridge DeSclafani's short start into the latter end of Arizona's bullpen.

Jalen Beeks threw 1.2 scoreless innings against the heart of Texas' lineup. Morillo worked a somewhat stress-free ninth inning on 15 pitches (eight strikes) for the save.

Arizona Diamondbacks Latest News


This article first appeared on Arizona Diamondbacks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!