Heating up: Ketel Marte homers for 3rd straight game vs. Brewers

Safe to say Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star Ketel Marte has heated back up after his injured list stint, as he clobbered a home run for a third straight game Sunday at the Milwaukee Brewers.

Marte fell behind 1-2 against Brewers starter Frankie Montas in the first inning, but he unloaded on a fastball down the middle. The ball traveled 421 feet, a no-doubter and Marte watched it fly for a second before taking off. The blast gave Arizona a 1-0 lead.

Ketel Marte. 35 HR.

Se une a Alfonso Soriano y Robinson Canó como los únicos intermedistas latinos en conectar 35 HR en una temporada de #LasMayores. pic.twitter.com/VIE2hOSWSw

— LasMayores (@LasMayores) September 22, 2024

The switch-hitter also tied a franchise record with 13 home runs in the first inning this season, sharing the feat with former teammate Paul Goldschmidt back in 2018.

Marte has a career-high 35 long balls and 93 RBIs on the season. He and Jay Bell are the Diamondbacks to hit that many bombs while primarily playing middle infield positions.

Twenty-two of Marte’s homers have come in the first or ninth innings.

After an 0-for-11 start through three games off the injured list (ankle sprain), Marte came into Sunday 12-for-33 (.364) with a 1.276 OPS, four home runs and 11 RBIs over his last 10 games. He has caught fire again similar to his stretch before suffering the ankle injury on Aug. 10 when he earned an OPS of 1.208 over the span of a month from July 10 to Aug. 9.

Marte firing on all cylinders has come at an opportune time for the club, which entered Sunday with a magic number to clinch a playoff spot at five. The D-backs return home on Monday for the final six games of the season, starting with three against the San Francisco Giants.

Catch the rest of Sunday’s game on ESPN 620 AM and the Arizona Sports app. 

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