Ketel Marte smashes walk-off home run, as Diamondbacks split series with Dodgers

PHOENIX — Ketel Marte absolutely demolished a walk-off home run against Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 3-2 win on Thursday at a packed Chase Field.

The shot was Marte’s second walk-off home run of the season and of his career, and it was a no-doubter that hurtled 431 feet into the left-field seats. He chucked his bat toward the home dugout, shook his head and trotted around the bases as his teammates and coaches threw their hands in the air.

WALK-OFF PARTEEE pic.twitter.com/FTcEmC15kx

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 5, 2026

With the win, the Diamondbacks salvaged a series split over their division rivals and improved to 33-29, while the Dodgers fell to 40-23.

Arizona won the opener, nearly came back from down four runs but fell short on Tuesday, was dominated by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday and walked off triumphantly on Thursday to cap an eventful series at Chase Field.

The Diamondbacks entered this week having struggled against teams over .500, but playing the Dodgers tough is a confidence boost. This is the team everyone else in the division chases, one that swept the Diamondbacks to open the season. Was this a growth moment in the middle of the season?

“That motivates us,” Marte said via Spanish interpreter. “Playing against someone like that, it teaches us and it definitely favors us, that experience.”

“There’s little push moments, push games,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I think this is one of those that might push us in the right direction. So I’m anxious to see how this team comes out tomorrow and continues to fight.”

The D-backs came back from down 2-0 late in this game but rallied against the Los Angeles bullpen.

Corbin Carroll cut the Dodgers’ lead in half with a lead-off home run in the eighth inning off Will Klein, his ninth of the season. Carroll finished the game a triple shy of the cycle, ironically for the league’s leader in triples.

That was also the first home run Klein has allowed in his big league career, and Thursday was his 43rd appearance.

Geraldo Perdomo, after having been moved down to seventh in the batting order, pulled through with the game-tying single with two outs in the eighth inning off Alex Vesia.

After Paul Sewald threw a scoreless ninth frame against the toughest slate of the Dodgers’ lineup, Marte came up with one out and just attacked the first pitch he saw from Scott. It was a fastball at the knees, and he smoked it 113 mph off the bat. It was reminiscent of his walk-off home run against the San Francisco Giants two weeks ago, which also came from the right side.

When the Diamondbacks were against the wall late, their three stars drove in the key runs.

“It’s nice when your best players perform and carry a little of the workload and push things in the right direction,” Lovullo said.

Ryne Nelson threw seven innings with two earned runs, both of which came with two outs in a disastrous fifth inning.

Max Muncy hit a chopper down the first-base line, but Nelson did not cover the bag. Muncy just beat Vargas in a race to first, but they collided hard, knocking both players out of the game.

Vargas and Muncy were banged up but appeared to have avoided serious injury.

That inning started to spiral, as Ryan Ward followed with an RBI double on a ball that looked like it sailed on Carroll in right field based on his route. Dalton Rushing blooped a single into center field to score Ward for a 2-0 lead.

“You make a mistake like that, the game tends to make you pay for it,” Nelson said. “Glad they’re both OK.”

Other than the critical mistake of not covering the bag, Nelson dealt on Thursday, as he did not allow a hit through the first four innings of the game. Other than the Muncy infield single and avoidable RBI knocks that ensued, Nelson allowed two hits on Thursday.

“This team always has my back,” Nelson said after the walk-off home run. “Our guy up there in the right spot, and he did what he tends to do.”

Losing Vargas quickly impacted the Diamondbacks. With runners on second and third in the bottom half of the sixth, Pavin Smith came up in a left-on-left matchup against Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski instead of the switch-hitting Vargas. Smith grounded out.

Wrobleski completed six shutout innings as he continues his breakout season for L.A. (2.62 ERA).

The D-backs had to maneuver on defense in this game, putting Smith at first base earlier than they wanted to after his return from elbow surgery. They then pinch hit for Smith with outfielder Jorge Barrosa in the eighth inning. Jose Fernandez was the designated hitter, so Adrian Del Castillo played first base for the second time in his career in the ninth inning of a tied ballgame.

Sewald struck out two batters, so it worked out fine.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, did not play Ohtani on Thursday after he threw six innings and reached base five times on Wednesday.

Thursday attendance

There were 41,999 fans in attendance for Thursday’s series finale, more than 14,000 above the D-backs season average (27,798).

Nationals in town

The Diamondbacks will turn around and host the Washington Nationals for three games, starting on Friday.

Merrill Kelly (5-3, 5.06 ERA) will start for Arizona in the opener, matched up against Washington left-hander Foster Griffin (6-2, 3.76 ERA).

The game starts at 6:40 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

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