Chase Field crowd cheers DBacks’ Ketel Marte after he was harassed
Arizona Diamondbacks fans cheer Ketel Marte at Chase Field on June 27, 2025, for the first time since he was harassed at a Chicago White Sox game.
The moment was setting up for Ketel Marte. Bases loaded, ninth inning, tying runs on base — a big situation for a player who had been at the center of attention the past few days. Looking on from the dugout, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo thought some kind of divine intervention might have been at work.
It was not meant to be. Marte struck out, and in the end the Diamondbacks’ latest attempt at papering over some sloppy baseball with a ninth-inning rally fell short by 90 feet.
Their 9-8 loss on Friday night, June 27, to the Miami Marlins felt more like one of their defeats from early in the year. There were defensive mistakes. There were bullpen issues. And there was a lot of offense, though not quite enough.
There was also an injury of sorts. First baseman Josh Naylor left the game with what Lovullo described as “neck stiffness.” Lovullo did not believe the issue to be serious but said Naylor likely would be out of the lineup for the second game of this three-game series.
Trailing 9-5 to begin the ninth, the Diamondbacks, helped along by an error by Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez, had the first four batters of the inning reach safely. That brought Marte to the plate.
It already had been an eventful week. Three days earlier, a heckler in Chicago yelled something about his mother during an at-bat. He ended up in tears a half-inning later, consoled on the infield by teammates and his manager. It was an incident that sparked discussion about the verbal abuse to which players can often be subjected.
In his first game back in Arizona, Marte was the recipient of multiple warm ovations. He said he appreciated them. He said he hoped fans can learn something from what he has gone through.
“I never get really emotional about things, but it’s different when it comes to my mother,” Marte said in Spanish. “What I want fans to know is we have hearts, as well. But thank God I received really good support.”
The Diamondbacks had plenty go wrong before their ninth-inning rally fell short. In the fifth, Naylor dropped a routine throw from shortstop Geraldo Perdomo. Later in the inning, right-hander Merrill Kelly made an errant throw on a slow roller in front of the plate. The errors led to two runs.
“That, to me,” Lovullo said of the defensive miscues, “was the difference in the game.”
The Marlins scored once more on Kelly when Kyle Stowers led off the sixth with a solo homer. Both Lovullo and Kelly tried to take the blame.
Lovullo wondered if he shouldn’t have sent Kelly back out for another inning, a decision that came after the Diamondbacks tied the game in the bottom of the fifth via home runs from Jake McCarthy (solo) and Geraldo Perdomo (two-run).
“I could see his stuff was backing up, but I’ve seen him pitch at 90 (mph) and I thought he could muscle through that part of the order and get us back in the dugout in a tie game,” Lovullo said. “But it didn’t happen.”
Kelly thought he should have shaken off catcher Jose Herrera, who, with the count 2-2, called for a third consecutive fastball to Stowers. He didn’t, and Stowers blasted it out to right field.
“We went to the well one too many times,” Kelly said.
The Diamondbacks bullpen struggled to hold the Marlins down. Right-hander Juan Morillo gave up a run after taking over for Kelly in the sixth, and right-hander Tayler Scott allowed three runs on five hits in two innings of work.
Though the game was close, Lovullo opted not to go to some of his more trusted relievers. It was a decision he was not second-guessing.
“I’ve studied some of the managers who have a lot of success in that space,” Lovullo said. “You’ve got to use all eight of your relievers. You can’t just keep leaning on four or five. Eventually, in any sport, your starting five in basketball are going to gas out.
“Your best five relievers by the end of the season are going to gas out. You’ve got to rely on the entire group.”
It was 9-6 when Marte came to the plate with nobody out and the bases loaded in the ninth, but he never looked comfortable in his at-bat against Marlins reliever Tyler Phillips. Marte chased a first-pitch breaking ball for a strike. He swung through a 1-1 fastball for Strike 2, then watched a curveball catch the inside corner. He did not argue when he was rung up for Strike 3.
“Oh man, yeah, I felt it too,” Lovullo said when asked about the feeling before Marte’s at-bat. “The bases loaded and one swing of the bat and he wins a baseball game — it would have been a great moment for him.
“It was setting up that way and I thought somebody from above was looking down on us and it was going to shine real bright on Ketel. (But) he’ll have his day, I’m sure of that.”
Pavin Smith made it a one-run game with a two-run single to center, bringing Tim Tawa to the plate with runners on the corners and one out. Tawa, who had entered the game in the seventh in place of Naylor, bounced into a game-ending double play.
“The frustrating part of the game,” Lovullo said, “is it fell on Naylor’s spot and unfortunately he wasn’t in the game. One of our top run producers. I felt good about Timmy; he just couldn’t get it done.”
—Nick Piecoro
Ketel Marte salutes fans for their support
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte’s first at-bat since the recent incident in Chicago, where a person in the stands hurled insults at Marte about his deceased mother, drew a standing ovation from many in the crowd at Chase Field on Friday, June 27.
The fans had previously cheered the mention of Marte’s name when he was announced as being in the starting lineup. Then, in the bottom of the first inning as the second man up to bat, Marte walked up to home plate as his name was announced via public address and took in the love from the Diamondbacks fans.
Marte exchanged a greeting with Miami Marlins catcher Agustin Ramirez, then took a step out of the batter’s box to doff his helmet to the crowd.
He grounded out for the second out of the inning.
Moments later as the top of the second began, Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez was recognized on the Chase Field video board for his 300th home run, hit on the team’s recent road trip. He, too, was cheered and saluted the fans with a tip of cap.
-Jose M. Romero
Corbin Carroll could return by All-Star break
The Diamondbacks are encouraged by how right fielder Corbin Carroll is progressing from his left wrist fracture and are not ruling out the possibility that he returns to action before the All-Star break, which begins July 14.
“If you’re asking me who is progressing the quickest, I’d probably say Corbin,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “I had a quick interaction with him the last day I saw him in Chicago and he said, ‘I’m coming back as fast as I can. As soon as there’s no pain or minimal pain, I want to come back.’ I think it’s going to be whatever these guys can handle, knowing they can’t do more damage to the bones that are broken.”
Carroll was diagnosed with a chip fracture in his left wrist. The club has been encouraged by how Carroll has felt and by what doctors have said about the extent of the injury.
Lovullo said Carroll expressed an interest in being available to play in the All-Star Game if he were to make the team for the National League.
—Nick Piecoro
Eugenio Suarez back in lineup, more injury updates
Third baseman Eugenio Suarez made his return to the lineup on June 27, his first game back since being hit on the right hand with a pitch at Chicago on June 23. Suarez missed two games.
Lovullo shook hands with Suarez before the game to gauge his grip strength.
“It’s about normal,” Lovullo said. “I said, ‘How are you doing? Are you 100 percent?’ He said, ‘Real close, real close.’ One of the toughest players I’ve ever managed.”
The club was encouraged enough by how Suarez was feeling that it did not send him for the MRI had that had been planned for the off day. Suarez leads the team with 25 home runs and his 67 RBIs lead the league.
Right-hander Kendall Graveman threw a bullpen session at Salt River Fields on June 27. He’s on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement.
Right-hander Justin Martinez’s elbow surgery included the insertion of a new ligament, meaning he will not be on the same 12-month timetable as left-hander A.J. Puk, whose current ligament remained in place with his internal brace procedure.
“It’s going to be a little longer than the 12 months,” Lovullo said of Martinez’s timetable.
There was no timeline given for the return of infielder Ildemaro Vargas (broken foot) and catcher Gabriel Moreno (right hand fracture). Both are on the 10-day injured list.
At Triple-A Reno, infielder Jordan Lawlar was placed on the injured list with a Grade 1 hamstring strain after being injured running to first base, Lovullo said. He will miss several weeks.
-Jose M. Romero
Ketel Marte returns home after upsetting experience
After an emotional visit to Chicago to end a long, three-city road trip, the Diamondbacks and second baseman Ketel Marte return to Chase Field on June 27 to open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins.
During a game against the White Sox earlier this week, a fan at Rate Field made comments to Marte about his mother, who died in 2017, leading Marte to begin crying on the field during the next half-inning. The fan was subsequently ejected and banned indefinitely from all major league ballparks.
Marte is expected to be greeted warmly by Diamondbacks fans.
Also, this week Marte was named a finalist in fan balloting to start at second base for the National League All-Star team. He received more than 2.5 million votes, the highest among NL second baseman, and will go up against the Dodgers’ Tommy Edman, who received 1.8 million votes, in Phase 2 balloting, which begins on June 30.
—Nick Piecoro
Coming up
Saturday, June 28: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (8-5, 5.49) vs. Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara (4-8, 6.69).
Sunday, June 29: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-4, 5.40) vs. Marlins RHP Cal Quantrill (3-7, 5.56).
Monday, June 30: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (4-2, 3.71) vs. Giants RHP Logan Webb (7-5, 2.52).
(This story has been updated to add new information.)