Ketel Marte becomes first D-back to hit two triples in a postseason game
Oct 4, 2017, 7:21 PM | Updated: 7:42 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte connects for a base hit against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of the National League wild-card playoff baseball game, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Ketel Marte was one of the players who had some question marks attached to him in the days leading up to the National League Wild Card Game against the Colorado Rockies.
He exited Sunday’s game after experiencing some tightness in his left hamstring while running to first base in the sixth inning.
Though still feeling some discomfort, Marte said Monday, “I think I’m going to be ready for Wednesday.”
He sure was.
Marte had three hits in his first three at-bats in the one-game playoff at Chase Field. He singled and scored in the first, tripled to bring in David Peralta in the second and tripled again in the fourth.
He became only the eighth player in MLB history to hit two triples in a game since 1913 and the first to do it since Mariano Duncan of the Philadelphia Phillies pulled it off in the 1993 NLCS. He also became the first D-back to ever do so and the first in MLB history to triple from both sides of the plate in a postseason game.
His first triple was clocked at a time of 11.26 seconds, making it the fastest triple by a D-back in 2017.
Marte’s breakout game is surprising given he wasn’t even one of the shortstops on the Opening Day roster. Injuries to the team’s two primary shortstops forced Marte into a position where the team was heavily relying on him. Chris Owings broke his right middle finger and Nick Ahmed fractured his right wrist in a rehab game for the same hand.
Owings last played for the D-backs on July 30 while Ahmed has been out since June 27. The next day after Ahmed’s last appearance, Marte was called up and he has been heavily involved in the lineup since.
On the season, Marte hit .260 with five home runs and 18 RBI.
