Ketel Marte’s homer propels D-backs over Marlins in complete team win

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks played complementary baseball in a complete team win over the Miami Marlins on Monday night.

The D-backs used the combination of timely hitting, stellar defense and a nearly perfect performance from the bullpen en route to a 4-3 victory at Chase Field.

Diamondbacks starting pitcher Humberto Castellanos didn’t quite make it long enough to qualify for a quality start, but he was still pretty solid in his fifth start of the year.

The right-hander went 5.1 innings pitched and allowed three runs on four hits (one home run) to go along with four strikeouts and one walk on 78 pitches (53 strikes).

“It was a good team win. It was (Castellanos) just grinding it out out there,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said postgame.

“I don’t think he had his best stuff today — a little bit of a fistfight for him but he made pitches when he had to. I think he started to spin the breaking ball, spin his curveball up there and got some swings and misses.”

Out of the bullpen, Lovullo called upon Kyle Nelson, Noe Ramirez, Ian Kennedy and Mark Melancon, who combined for 3.2 scoreless innings on just 45 pitches.

Nelson picked up the win, while Ramirez and Kennedy both got holds and Melancon his sixth save of the year on only six pitches thanks to a game-ending double play started by second baseman Ketel Marte.

What a way to end the game. pic.twitter.com/xXE7ByMynv

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 10, 2022

“(Castellanos) got into that sixth inning and allowed us to match up with the bullpen and they took it over from there,” Lovullo said. “We got the lead and hung on to the lead and made some good defensive plays. It was a good day all around, just a really, really good team win.”

Marte also broke a 3-3 deadlock with a solo home run to right field with one out in the bottom of the sixth.

The blast was his second big fly of the season.

Ketel 4 the lead! pic.twitter.com/js1UYVMK4f

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 10, 2022

“That’s the player I am,” Marte said via translator of finding a rhythm both in the field and at the plate. “Early on I was trying to do too much, but that’s what we’ve been working on little by little.”

The Dominican added that it’s possible his contract extension could have been a reason to his slow start this year.

“It’s only natural when someone tries to do too much, things don’t come out the right way,” he said via translator.

Diamondbacks catcher Daulton Varsho led off the game with a double followed by a Pavin Smith strikeout and a David Peralta walk.

Arizona took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after Varsho and Peralta both scored on back-to-back RBI hits by Christian Walker (double) and Josh Rojas (bunt single).

pic.twitter.com/wBavriv0ga https://t.co/WiYyaacsKd

— Jake Anderson (@jwa1994) May 10, 2022

D-backs outfielder Alek Thomas reached on an error by Marlins second baseman Jazz Chisholm — who Arizona traded for pitcher Zac Gallen in 2019 — and was brought home by a Varsho RBI single after Geraldo Perdomo moved the rookie into scoring position on a groundout to first.

EXTRA BASES

Varsho — who did everything but pitch for the D-backs on the night — went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored.

The catcher finished with a collective +2 on the basepaths after both stealing a base and catching a runner stealing. He also made a nice play sliding into the backstop and firing to first to complete a strikeout on a wild pitch.

“He had a good night tonight. He’s swinging the bat really well,” Lovullo said. “He went and retrieved that ball as fast as any catcher could. It was a big out. … He’s swinging the bat very, very well.

“The biggest thing to me I think was the 1.75 (seconds) down to second base. … The caught stealing meant we wouldn’t potentially have to face Jazz with a runner on. It was a really good play, he has a great exchange and it was accurate. He’s rolling right now but he still has work to do. He’s still got to go out there every day, stay on edge and work his butt off, which he will.”

UP NEXT

The D-backs host the Marlins in the second of a three-game set on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. on ESPN 620 AM or 98.7 FM HD-2.

Arizona LHP Madison Bumgarner is scheduled to start against Miami LHP Jesus Luzardo.

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