Ketel Marte drilled a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday at Phoenix.
Marte, Blaze Alexander and Jordan Lawlar had two hits apiece for the Diamondbacks (69-72), who won for the fifth time in their past seven games.
Michael Helman, Alejandro Osuna and Joc Pederson had two hits apiece for the Rangers (72-68). Osuna, Wyatt Langford and Jonah Heim drove in Texas’ runs.
The Rangers, who went hitless in nine at-bats with runners in scoring position, had a six-game winning streak halted and lost for just the second time in 11 games.
Hoby Milner (2-4) entered for Texas in a tie game in the bottom of the seventh, and Jorge Barrosa and Lawlar greeted him with singles. Marte then walloped an 0-1 changeup over the wall in left-center to give the Diamondbacks a 5-2 lead.
Jalen Beeks (5-1) walked two in the top of the seventh before he retired Helman on a fly ball and Josh Smith on a grounder to end the inning.
Arizona’s Taylor Rashi allowed one-out singles to Pederson and Rowdy Tellez in the eighth before he struck out Josh Jung and induced a grounder from Cody Freeman to get out of the jam.
Texas’ Ezequiel Duran doubled to start the ninth, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder by Heim. Helman nearly homered, but his drive to left went foul, and Rashi rallied to strike him out. The rookie right-hander, who was recalled from Triple-A Reno earlier in the day, then retired Smith on a grounder to pick up his second save in two career appearances.
Arizona’s Nabil Crismatt allowed two runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked one.
Texas’ Jacob Latz was charged with two runs over 5 1/3 innings. He gave up five hits and two walks and struck out one.
The Rangers got on the board in the third inning after Helman hit a leadoff triple to left. One out later, Langford hit a sacrifice fly to center.
There were two outs in the fourth when Freeman hit a roller for an infield single. Osuna followed with a looper to shallow center, and Alexander came up empty on his diving attempt. Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo retrieved the ball and threw home, and the high toss got away for an error as Freeman scored and Osuna ended up at third. However, Heim subsequently grounded out to end the inning.
Arizona tied it in the sixth on an RBI single from Alexander and a sacrifice fly from Ildemaro Vargas.
–Field Level Media
