Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte gets field named in his honor
The Arizona Diamondbacks infielder threw out the first pitch at the opening of a youth baseball field named in his honor.
The Diamondbacks kept their slim playoff hopes alive on Saturday night, Sept. 20, getting a strong outing from right-hander Zac Gallen and a collective effort from the offense to beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3, at Chase Field.
With the win, the Diamondbacks moved to within two games of a playoff spot, albeit with two teams still ahead of them. The New York Mets, who lost earlier in the day, still own the final wild-card spot in the National League, with the Cincinnati Reds and Diamondbacks in close pursuit. The Mets now lead the Reds by just one game, while the Reds maintain a one-game lead on the Diamondbacks.
Gallen gave up two runs in the first inning and another in the fourth, but managed to keep his pitch count under control, which allowed him to complete seven innings.
The Diamondbacks trailed twice but rallied back both times. Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte each delivered a run-scoring single in the first and third innings, respectively, as the Diamondbacks tied the game at 2.
After Alec Bohm’s solo homer in the fourth but the Phillies back in front, the Diamondbacks scored a pair of runs in the sixth to move in front for good. Blaze Alexander came through with back-to-back doubles to tie the game, and with two out Ildemaro Vargas muscled a single into shallow left field to bring home the go-ahead run.
The Phillies threatened in the seventh, putting runners on first and second against Gallen. But manager Torey Lovullo stuck with his starter, who got Harrison Bader to bounce into a fielder’s choice to end the inning on his 103rd and final pitch of the night.
The Phillies also made noise in the eighth, but again the Diamondbacks escaped. Left-hander Brandyn Garcia allowed singles to two of the first three batters of the inning, putting runners on the corners with one out, but Garcia struck out Brandon Marsh before right-hander Ryan Thompson got Bohm to fly to center.
Right-hander John Curtiss worked a scoreless ninth inning for the save, the third of his career and first since 2020.
Close game, but DBacks trail
Through 5 ½ innings at Chase Field on Saturday, Sept. 20, the Diamondbacks trail the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2.
Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen had eight strikeouts and allowed only four hits through six innings, but the Phillies have made the most of their hits. Kyle Schwarber has a run-scoring double and Alec Bohm homered in the top of the fourth inning.
The Diamondbacks have five hits against Phillies starter Aaron Nola. Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte drove in single runs in the first and third innings.
Jake McCarthy struck out with runners on first and third in the fourth inning, ending that chance.
The Diamondbacks can gain a game on the New York Mets with a win. The Mets lost to the Washington Nationals 5-3 in extra innings earlier Saturday.
— Jose M. Romero
Saalfrank dealing with shoulder pain
Diamondbacks left-hander Andrew Saalfrank, the club’s top reliever in recent weeks, continues to battle discomfort in his pitching shoulder, though manager Torey Lovullo said Saalfrank wants to try to pitch through it as much as possible rather than head to the injured list.
Saalfrank, who has a 1.33 ERA in 26 games this season, entered the game on Saturday, Sept. 20, against the Philadelphia Phillies, having pitched only once — on Sept. 16 vs. the Giants — in the past eight days. He was unavailable in the series opener against the Phillies.
“We’re trying to figure out usage and what the best pattern is for him moving forward,” Lovullo said. “We’ll continue to do so.”
Lovullo said the injured list has been “most likely ruled out” because it would cost him the rest of the season.
“He wants to pitch,” Lovullo said. “He wants to gut things out. We’re going to see it through with him.”
Meanwhile, right-hander Cristian Mena, who has been on the injured list since June with a shoulder strain, recently experienced more tightness in his shoulder and had his throwing progression slowed. He is no longer on track to return from the IL before the end of the season, Lovullo said.
—Nick Piecoro
First-round pick Cunningham takes batting practice
The Diamondbacks had this year’s first-round draft pick, Kayson Cunningham, take part in batting practice before their Sept. 20th game.
Cunningam, who hit .255 in 11 games at Class A short season Visalia (Calif.), took a few swings with the Diamondbacks’ major leaguers and spoke with some of them. He hit a home run down the right field line.
He called the experience “every kid’s dream.”
“Sharpening my tools, working on weaknesses, obviously get stronger, get faster,” the 19-year-old from Texas said about his first stint in pro baseball. “Everything’s super detailed. You can tell they (coaches) just want what’s best for you at the end of the day.”
Diamondbacks 2025 first round draft pick Kayson Cunningham looks back on his first minor league season in the organization. He took batting practice with the DBacks today. pic.twitter.com/LUAE3wT2vp
— José M. Romero (@RomeroJoseM) September 20, 2025
Cunningham leaves on Sunday, Sept. 21, with other members of the Diamondbacks’ 2025 draft class for the Dominican Republic, where the group will spend a week learning about the baseball experience for players from that country.
Cunningham hopes to move up to Class A Hillsboro (Ore.) next season and hit above .300, and also play in the postseason.
— Jose M. Romero
Abner’s meteoric rise to big leagues
Philip Abner had family at his major league debut on Friday, Sept. 19. He was able to share the special night with them after the game, even though the Diamondbacks lost 8-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Abner, a 23-year-old left-handed pitcher from Charlotte, N.C., took the mound in a difficult spot in the seventh inning. The first batter he faced was Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, whom he struck out.
The Diamondbacks called up Abner from Triple-A Reno the previous day, and there he was, on the mound in front of almost 37,000 fans at Chase Field in the middle of a chase for the postseason.
“I wouldn’t have believed it,” Abner said before the team’s Saturday, Sept. 20 game. “Being in High-A at the beginning, the big leagues felt so far away. It just happened so fast.”
Abner began this season in Class A Hillsboro, where he posted a 1.93 earned run average in 11 games. He was called up to Double-A Amarillo, where he spent most of the season, but got called to Reno to fill out the Aces’ shorthanded bullpen.
“I was literally supposed to be there three days,” Abner said. He pitched in eight games, and allowed no runs on two hits in 8 ⅓ innings.
Abner kept the baseball from his first outing, but gave his jersey to his father.
— José M. Romero
Phillies at Diamondbacks, 5:10 p.m., Cox, Ch. 34.
Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (12-14, 4.73) vs. Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (4-9, 6.44).
At Chase Field: Gallen, in what could be his last start of 2025 at Chase Field, hopes to end the season on a roll. He is coming off a six-inning, two-hit performance against the Giants. Gallen has pitched at least six innings in each of his past five starts, is 3-1 in that stretch and hasn’t allowed more than one run in four of his past five starts. … Against the Phillies, Gallen is 3-1 in six career starts with a 2.20 earned run average. … Nola, the Phillies’ nominee for Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award, could be ticketed for a relief role in the postseason now that the Phillies have clinched the National League East Division. He’s spent time on the injured list this season and hasn’t been as effective as he has in seasons past. But he is an option for a postseason start as the Phillies look for someone to step into that role. Nola is 3-3 in his career against Arizona, with a 6.16 ERA.
Coming up
Sunday, Sept. 21: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (8-8, 5.12) vs. Phillies LHP Ranger Suarez (12-6, 2.84).
Monday, Sept. 22: Off.
Tuesday, Sept. 23: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (13-8, 5.02) vs. Dodgers RHP Shohei Ohtani (1-1, 3.29).
Wednesday, Sept. 24: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (7-3, 3.34) vs. Dodgers LHP Blake Snell (5-4, 2.44).