PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks trailed 9-5 going into the bottom of the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins on Friday, and yet they worked their way back in with one swing needed to steal a game they had little business winning.

The Diamondbacks loaded the bases for Geraldo Perdomo with no outs, and he walked home a run. After a Ketel Marte strikeout, Pavin Smith singled home two more, and Perdomo skipped over to third base to represent the tying run with one out.

Earlier in the game, Tim Tawa replaced Josh Naylor at first base, and manager Torey Lovullo revealed postgame this was due to Naylor dealing with neck stiffness. Naturally, Tawa was the one to come up in the key spot. Naylor has been one of Arizona’s prominent run producers all year, while Tawa — for all his defensive value — has hit a wall at the plate this month. Eugenio Suarez was on deck, but the one thing that could not happen did.

Diamondbacks skipper Torey Lovullo said Josh Naylor left tonight’s game with neck stiffness.

The manager added the first baseman will probably be down for tomorrow’s matchup. pic.twitter.com/cafsTmrOcy

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) June 28, 2025

Tawa grounded into the game-ending double play, as Arizona fell 9-8.

“ Things started to really sync up there late in the game,” Lovullo said. “I felt like we were surging … and I felt like if we tied that score, we were gonna win the game. We just couldn’t get it done.

“I need to back up a little bit. There were some things that took place today we need to tighten up. Defensively, I don’t think we played our best game. There were moments where we’re not doing our job, playing pitch and catch, we’re not executing some pitches on the mound, and that’s to me the difference in the game.”

Jake McCarthy, Perdomo and Alek Thomas each crushed a home run in the loss, as the Diamondbacks entered the game 10-2 when they homer three or more times. The two other losses were the Suarez four home run game and the 14-11 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Through eight innings, Arizona’s offense depended on home runs, as its lineup only collected five hits at that point. Neither club recorded a hit through the first three frames, as the first act to this game was a duel between starters Merrill Kelly and Eury Perez.

Kelly’s 3.2 innings of dominance ended in the fourth with a trio of two-out doubles giving the Marlins a 2-1 lead before the fifth inning was downright ugly.

Naylor dropped a throw from Perdomo, Kelly walked a batter and the Marlins benefitted from a fortunate infield single to load the bases. Otto Lopez hit a little tapper to the left of the mound, a near impossible play for Kelly, who attempted an off-balanced throw which did not come close to hitting its target. Two runs scored, both unearned.

Arizona mounted a quick comeback, as Perdomo’s two-run shot that landed in the pool tied the game at 4-4, but the Marlins would club three home runs over the next five innings to break away. Kyle Stowers took Kelly deep in the sixth, ending the veteran’s night at five innings pitched and three earned runs with seven strikeouts.

“ Frustrated, disappointed” Kelly said. “I felt really good in the beginning and then those middle innings kind of, I don’t know where it went. Obviously we had some unfortunate luck, the bases loaded squibber that I threw in right field doesn’t help. … The pitch I am probably gonna beat myself up about more than any is the Stowers at-bat. We went to the well one too many times.”

Heriberto Hernandez and Lopez hit home runs off reliever Tayler Scott, as Miami finished with 13 hits.

The most memorable moment from Friday came in the first inning when Marte stepped up to the plate. The Chase Field crowd gave him quite the standing ovation, and he acknowledged their support.

It was his first plate appearance at home since he teared up on the field after a heckler brought up his late mother in Chicago on Tuesday. It was a nice gesture to get behind Marte.

Halfway home

The Diamondbacks played their 81st game of the season on Friday, hitting the exact halfway point on their schedule with a 41-40 record — two games better than last year’s 39-42.

Arizona ended the night 3.5 games back of the third NL Wild Card spot.

Diamondbacks’ next game

The second game of this series is a matinee, starting at 1:10 p.m. MST.

Brandon Pfaadt will pitch for the D-backs, while Sandy Alcantara is probable for Miami.

Catch the game on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.