Marte’s Walk-Off Homer Lifts D-Backs, Thornton Set for Mets Debut, Miller Costs Padres in Loss

Arizona 4, San Francisco 3, Ketel Marte delivered a walk-off home run in the ninth inning to give the Diamondbacks a dramatic win over the Giants on Tuesday. The veteran second baseman, who entered the game with a .688 OPS, became just the second player in MLB this season to hit a walk-off homer after a 12-inning grand slam by James Wood in Washington. Marte’s 10th home run of the year capped off a four-run rally in the ninth, as Arizona erased a 3-1 deficit to move to 41-46 on the season.

Marte’s production has dipped in recent weeks, but his underlying numbers remain strong. He ranks in the 88th percentile for expected batting average (xBA) and 73rd percentile for expected slugging (xSLG), per Statcast. “Usually at this stage in the season, I have really good numbers,” Marte said. “But (manager Torey Lovullo) always tells me you’re making good contact, don’t be so hard on yourself.” The win also snapped a three-game losing streak for the D-Backs.

Zach Thornton is set to make his Major League debut for the Mets on Wednesday against the Nationals. The left-hander, who has a 3.16 ERA in seven starts between Double-A and Triple-A this season, will fill the rotation spot vacated by Clay Holmes, who is sidelined with a fractured fibula. Thornton, ranked among the top 10 prospects in New York’s system, has posted a 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors and gives the Mets a potential long-term solution at the back end of the rotation.

San Diego 4, Los Angeles 5, Mason Miller’s night ended in disaster. The Padres’ closer, known for his 99-mph heat, threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt, allowing Alex Call to advance to third base. Andy Pages capitalized with a sacrifice fly to give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead in the 10th inning. The error marked the first of Miller’s MLB career and cost him his first loss as a Padre. The win moved the Dodgers to 48-36, 2.5 games ahead of the Padres in the NL West.

The Mets and Nationals continue their bizarre series on Wednesday. New York leads the four-game set 2-1 after scoring 10 runs in the 12th on Monday and coming back from a five-run deficit on Tuesday. The Mets look to take control of the series with a win, while Washington aims to keep its surprising momentum alive.