Ketel Marte hits walk-off home run to beat Giants: ‘An incredible feeling’

PHOENIX — Baseball is a sport that puts its players through the emotional wringer, and Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte experienced anguish and exaltation one inning apart with his walk-off home run to beat the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday at Chase Field, 5-3.

Marte took off his helmet and looked up at the video board in disbelief after hitting a baseball 411 feet to center field for a fly out in the eighth inning. He was mere feet from hitting the game-tying home run, but he hit the ball to the deepest part of the yard. For a player with the second-most hard-hit outs in the major leagues, that was yet another kick in the teeth.

But the Diamondbacks gave him another opportunity. With two men on base and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Marte dug in with a chance to tie the game with a single or win it with a ball in the gap. Instead, he fished out a low slider from Giants left-hander Matt Gage and pounded it over the left-field wall.

Marte Madness 🤯 pic.twitter.com/wMvhoy7BMC

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 20, 2026

As everyone in the dugout in unicen tracked the ball hurtling toward the bullpen, Marte flipped his bat toward them, chucked his helmet and beat his chest before taking his triumphant trot around the bases.

Marte, who reached 10 years of major league service time this spring, had never hit a walk-off home run in a big league game before.

“Ten years, my first walk-off home run, being able to give my team a victory like that is an incredible feeling,” Marte said via Spanish interpreter.

Marte’s season-long numbers are not where he wants them to be, and he has not taken solace in the fact that his expected stats based on how hard he hits the ball suggests there has been a lot of bad luck. Marte entered the game with 29 outs made on balls in play of at least 100 mph off the bat, second to Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres.

His slugging percentage entering Tuesday was .368, while the expected stats say it should have been .449.

“It’s hard,” Marte said. “Someone like myself who works very hard, the results haven’t been coming, but nevertheless, come here, trust in God, give my best performance. … Usually at this stage in the season, I have really good numbers. But (manager Torey Lovullo) always tells me you’re making good contact, don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re playing good defense.”

KETEL MARTE KNEW OFF THE BAT 😤 https://t.co/RlLX1X5B9Y pic.twitter.com/EHD0vT8qSW

— MLB (@MLB) May 20, 2026

Diamondbacks score 4 in 9th inning

The Diamondbacks were having a particularly frustrating night at the plate before the heroics of the ninth inning.

They had hit into three double plays, including with the bases loaded and one out in both the seventh and eighth innings while down 3-1.

But Arizona’s lineup continued to set the table, as Ildemaro Vargas singled to lead off the ninth inning and took second base on a defensive indifference. With two outs, Adrian Del Castillo, whose double play ended Arizona’s threat in the seventh inning, ripped an RBI single into center field to cut the deficit to 3-2 — speaking of agony-to-ecstasy moments.

That brought up Ryan Waldschmidt, who fell behind 0-2 before reaching base on a catcher’s interference. The Giants challenged the call, and the ruling stood. It was not confirmed.

Marte came up, and Giants manager Tony Vitello opted to maneuver to the bullpen. He took out right-hander Caleb Kilian for a lefty, and Marte said afterward he was surprised by the move. Marte’s numbers against lefties this season do not stand out, but he has crushed southpaws throughout his career.

It took two more pitches to end the game.

The D-backs improved to 24-23, while the Giants fell to 20-29.

“This game is great,” Lovullo said. “You fight and you claw for eight and two-thirds innings. You don’t have a lot of really good results because they’ve made plays on you and then you have the right guy in the right spot come up and win you a baseball game. Ketel is made for those moments. He likes to step into that space, pick up his team.”

“Just happy for (Marte),” Corbin Carroll said. “He’s been working hard, and so to see him come through right there was awesome.”

This was the Diamondbacks’ second walk-off win of the season, both of which came from Marte, who hit the game-winning double against the Atlanta Braves last month.

Arizona’s sole run before the ninth inning on Tuesday came in the first, as Carroll crushed a triple to left-center field off Giants starter Landen Roupp. Carroll was knocked in the head (without a helmet) by second baseman Luis Arraez’s throw to third base, allowing Carroll to score. Carroll had lost his helmet rounding first base.

“I’m fine, I think,” Carroll said. “That all checked out just fine.”

Roupp ended up tossing six innings with the one earned run allowed.

Ryne Nelson hangs in there

Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson put together a bend-don’t-break sort of outing to earn a quality start. He allowed back-to-back home runs to Rafael Devers and Willy Adames during a three-run second inning, as the Giants tallied eight hits against him.

Nelson held the Giants to 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and never threw more than 15 pitches in a frame, allowing him to get deep into the ballgame.

“Threw some first-pitch strikes that were maybe a little bit too much on the plate and just had to get back to attacking and being aggressive,” Nelson said. “After that inning, there were still some spots where I had to make big pitches with runners on base, so I probably didn’t have my best stuff but found a way to grind and keep this team in it.”

The right-hander finished with seven innings pitched for the second straight game, throwing a third straight quality start to lower his ERA to 5.19.

The D-backs’ bullpen remained steady, as Kevin Ginkel and Jonathan Loaisiga kept the Giants scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings.

Tuesday attendance

19,548

Wednesday probables

Arizona has won four of its last five games and three of its last four series.

Merrill Kelly (3-3, 5.91) will take the mound on Wednesday after throwing a complete game in his last appearance at Coors Field on Friday.

The Giants will start right-hander Tyler Mahle (1-5, 5.59).

The game will start at 12:40 p.m. MST on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. 

Related

Diamondbacks unable to get to Gavin Williams ahead of rain delay in disjointed loss to GuardiansDiamondbacks-Guardians finale resumes after 1.5-hour rain delay, benches clearing beforeDiamondbacks fans react as Dodgers land Cy Young ace Tarik Skubal in blockbuster moveDiamondbacks bullpen holds on to clinch series at Guardians after Paul Sewald shelledDiamondbacks trade deadline: Latest buzz and potential targetsDiamondbacks in sole possession of 2nd NL Wild Card after comeback win over Guardians