Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said outfielder Eugenio Suárez is “a good baseball player that’s also a very good human being.” (Photo by Truitt Robinson/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks swung and missed on their latest homestand. This unsteady ride at Chase Field means finding success when they finally returns home July 18 could be key to staying in the postseason hunt.
The road has proven kinder as the team is 2-1 heading into Thursday’s game at San Diego. The Diamondbacks sit 4 1/2 game outside of the National League wild card, and a big reason is a sweep by the Marlins to open their homestand.
Otto Lopez dominated in the first game with three hits and three RBIs, leading the Marlins to their fifth straight win. The Diamondbacks had a chance to win the second game in the series in extra innings with Ketel Marte’s four RBIs. Yet, Agustín Ramírez hit a single to score the winning run in the 10th inning. In game three, Otto Lopez and Kyle Stowers crushed the Diamondbacks’ hope to take a win with their combined five RBIs to steal the last game in the series, securing the Marlins’ seventh consecutive win.
Despite the sweep, the Diamondbacks have three players heading to Atlanta to represent in the MLB All-Star game Tuesday.
The fan favorite for the National League’s second baseman, Ketel Marte was announced the starter for the second year in a row, his third All-Star election. Despite missing nearly a month due to a hamstring injury, Marte still performed at the highest levels, earning the starting position. As of July 10, he has a .290 average with 19 home runs, 40 RBIs and a .977 OPS.
“He’s very humble,” Diamondbacks infielder Geraldo Perdomo said. “He’s one of the most humble people in my life. I’m proud and happy to have Marte.”
Corbin Carroll and Eugenio Suárez were selected to be a part of the reserves for the All-Star game after rosters were finalized Sunday.
Carroll was recently activated from the 10-day injured list after recovering from a fractured wrist. As of July 10, Carroll has a .250 average with 21 home runs, 46 RBIs and an .897 OPS. This would be Carroll’s second All-Star selection.
“He feels like he’s passing that personal test,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said about Carroll’s recovery, “He’s the only one that can give us the information on how he’s feeling and when he says he feels good, and he wants to keep doing it the next day. It’s always a very positive sign.”
Suárez has been dominating and boosting the offense this homestand. As of July 10, Suárez has a .251 average with 29 home runs, 75 RBIs and an .883 OPS. Suárez represents Arizona for his second All-Star appearance since 2018, when he represented the Cincinnati Reds.
“He’s such a good baseball player that’s also a very good human being,” Lovullo said. “We feel like him coming on to the baseball field is no different than how he treats his family and friends. I can’t say enough great things about him. We’re lucky to have him.”
Since joining the team in 2023, Suárez is on pace to break some franchise records. One of those is held by former Diamondbacks outfielder Luis Gonzalez, who hit the most home runs in a single season as a Diamondbacks player in 2001 with 57 home runs.
“He should get it … as hard as he’s working, as much success as he’s had,” Lovullo said when finding out about Suárez potentially breaking the record, “I love Gonzo, but he might be in trouble over the years for sure.”
Outfielder Alek Thomas and the Arizona Diamondbacks know they need to play better at Chase Field. (Photo by Truitt Robinson/Cronkite News)
With players representing Arizona in the All-Star Game, the gloomy atmosphere that took over Chase Field seemed to be lifted. But the Diamondbacks couldn’t capitalize on the hot start in the Giants Series and lost the next series to the Kansas City Royals.
The Diamondbacks took a 2-0 lead in the series against the Giants.
“If we win today, we win the series, and you can’t ever be frustrated about winning a series,” Diamondbacks pitcher John Curtiss said after the first two games of the four-game series. “A sweep is ideal, but you just want to win series in the big leagues. They all matter equally.”
The Diamondbacks went on to tie the Giants series by losing the last two games. The hot start for Arizona cooled down for the rest of its home stretch. The next opponent, the Kansas City Royals, took the series with the Diamondbacks only winning one game.
With the MLB All-Star break approaching, the Diamondbacks have four games left on the road against the Padres and Angels.
With this opportunity, the team can use the All-Star break to rest up and turn around their season.
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