Ketel Marte made a baffling mistake that cost Diamondbacks

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ketel Marte made a baffling mistake that cost Diamondbacks

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jul 18, 2026 12:50 PM ET

Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte made a rather inexplicable mistake to end Friday’s loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Marte was at bat at Chase Field in Phoenix, Az. with the tying run at second and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The All-Star infielder took a 2-2 pitch that appeared to be clearly above the strike zone, but umpire Bill Miller punched him out for strike three.

Despite the Diamondbacks having both of their ABS challenges remaining, Marte opted not to use one. He would have won the challenge and still had a chance to drive in the tying run on a 3-2 pitch.

What is Ketel Marte thinking????? pic.twitter.com/J6qHyOZsNS
— Austin Oravec (@AustinOravec) July 18, 2026

Marte does not even seem to consider challenging, which is remarkable. There would be no downside to doing so. If he’s right, the game continues and he stays alive. If not, it is not as if he gets to save the challenge for later.

Normally when we see players err on a challenge, it’s because they were overzealous. While players are often conservative about using them early in the game, the ninth inning tends to be a time when just about anything borderline gets challenged. Marte did not do that, and it genuinely may have cost his team a win, or at least an opportunity to do so.

More must-reads: