Record: 79-69. Pace: 86-76. Change on 2025: +6.
In the middle of the fifth inning, this looked like another one of those Diamondbacks games, which have been all too common lately. They were trailing 1-0 to the Rangers, starter Merrill Kelly was out, and the team had never really looked like scoring. But they then exploded for nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings, to give Arizona their biggest offensive production since August 28. It was a much-needed start to the last home-stand of the season, allowing the D-backs to keep pace with the Padres, and close a game on the Phillies. In individual marks, Corbin Carroll hit his 20th home-run of the season, and Justin Martinez threw just the fifth immaculate inning in franchise history.
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The first inning was quick on both ends, Kelly and MacKenzie Gore, who threw eight innings of one-run ball against Arizona in Texas, needed only 20 pitches between them to get the first six outs. However, Kelly’s second inning was a real grind, as he struggled to locate his change-up, missing his spots by a wide margin. He was getting ahead of the hitters: four of the five batters faced went 0-2, and the other was 1-2. But there were then three full counts, two walks, and a total of 31 pitches thrown. As zeros go, it was about the least convincing one possible. A pair of one pitch outs in the third helped get Merrill somewhat back on track.
It was only temporary, however. After a 1-2-3 fourth, Kelly recorded only one out in the fifth, and that was on a sacrifice bunt. After a lead-off walk, and that sacrifice, he hit the next batter, and an RBI double into the right-field corner brought home the game’s first run, giving Texas a 1-0 lead. With men on second and third and one out, they threatened to score more, and Torey Lovullo had a quick hook. Kelly’s night was over after just 4.1 innings and 80 pitches, allowing one run on two hits and three walks with three K’s. Kevin Ginkel inherited the jam, and performed magnificently, stranding both runners on a just shallow enough fly and groundout, around another HBP to load the bases.
In hindsight, that proved to be the night’s turning point, because the Arizona offense finally showed up. Jordan Lawlar got things going with a double, Ryan Waldschmidt walked, and after Ildemaro Vargas failed to bunt them over, he slapped a ground-rule double to left-field instead, tying up the game. Ketel Marte then extended his hitting streak to nine games since coming off the injured (and restricted) list, with the third double in four batters, which made it 3-1 to Arizona and chased Gore. Gabriel Moreno then singled Marte home, making it 4-1. The D-backs loaded the bases before Lawlar grounded out in his second at-bat of the inning.
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We then got to see something very special in the top of the fifth. Martinez took over from Ginkel, and threw the ultimate shutdown frame, in the shape of an immaculate inning: nine pitches, nine strikes, three strikeouts (above). These are rare: less common than no-hitters or hitting for the cycle, with just 123 instances since the feat was first recorded in 1889. It was the fifth immaculate inning in franchise history – here’s the full list:
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Byung-Hyun Kim, May 11, 2002 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Yes, that’s the second immaculate inning thrown by a Diamondback this season. Though that fact is probably less impressive than the Astros’ Luis Garcia and Phil Maton, who threw their immaculates in the same game, against the same Rangers on June 15, 2022. Actually, the same three batters – Nathaniel Lowe, Ezequiel Durán and Brad Miller – were struck out in both frames. None of them were involved tonight: Durán is the only hitter to have been a part of three immaculate innings.
The Arizona offense came right back out in their half of the sixth, and tacked on five more runs. Waldschmidt was hit by a pitch, and one out later, Marte notched another RBI double, to make it 5-1 to Arizona. Moreno singled Marte home for the second inning in a row (6-1), and after the second out, Corbin Carroll hit his 20th home-run of the season, making it 8-1. As Preston noted on Twitter, Corbin is the first player ever with multiple 20 HR, 20 SB, 15 3B seasons. Nolan Arenado then followed with his team-leading 24th home-run to finish off the scoring for the Diamondbacks, with their ninth and final run.
The remainder of the game was largely a procession. Old “friend” Jordan Montgomery shambled out of the Rangers bullpen to pitch mop-up. Or, as kilnborn put it in the GDT, “And the Rangers decide to put a non-pitcher on the mound, since they’re down by 8+.” He retired all six batters faced, which would normally have been a point of pain. But by that point, my third cider was kicking in, and I couldn’t give a damn. Vargas, Marte, Moreno and Arenado all had two-hit games. Marte now has an .838 OPS since returning to the field, which seems solid enough to me. Hopefully, tonight might get Carroll, and the bats in general going consistently.
Click for details at Fangraphs
Never forget: Ildemaro Vargas, +19%
God Bless America: Ginkel, +14%; Marte, +11%
Never remember: Corbin Carroll, -5%
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A very entertaining Gameday Thread, though that may partly be the cider talking. So apologize for any typos! I’m going off the rec path tonight, and giving it to Prof, for a comment which ended up being highly prophetic, in a discussion about whether or not Arizona leave more people on base than other teams (answer: no).
Ask, and ye shall receive… As mentioned, the Padres won, but the Phillies lost. That keeps the D-backs one-half game back of the Padres, with the Phillies and Cubs now level, three games in front of the Diamondbacks. After that solid start to the series, we’ll reconvene tomorrow for an earlier game – 5:10 pm – with Brandon Pfaadt on the mound for Arizona.
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