Santo Domingo.- Dominican Ketel Marte returned to action this Monday with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but his return to the field was marked by boos from the fans and another loss for his team, which fell 2-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field.
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Marte, who returned to the lineup after being absent following his failure to report in Boston earlier this month, received a negative reception from Arizona fans from the moment the lineups were announced.
In four plate appearances, the Dominican second baseman went 1-for-3, with a single and a walk, in addition to hitting a groundout and a flyout.
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However, his return was not enough to change the offensive situation for the Diamondbacks, who once again showed difficulties in producing runs in important moments.
Arizona connected for nine hits during the game, but only one was an extra-base hit. The loss left the team with a 73-66 record, half a game behind the San Diego Padres in the race for the final National League wild card spot, with 23 regular-season games remaining.
Pfaadt keeps Arizona in the game
Starter Brandon Pfaadt had a solid performance on the mound. The right-hander worked six innings and allowed two runs, keeping the Diamondbacks in contention for a comeback for much of the game.
Philadelphia took the lead in the second inning, when Bryson Stott hit a 464-foot home run to right field off a pitch from Pfaadt.
In the third inning, Bryce Harper extended the lead with an RBI double off the center field wall, making the score 2-0.
Pfaadt did not allow any more runs during his outing, but the Arizona offense failed to support his effort.
Arizona wastes opportunities
The Diamondbacks had opportunities to tie the game, but they couldn’t take advantage of them.
In the eighth inning, Arizona put two runners on base with two outs, but Tim Tawa ended up striking out to end the threat.
The last opportunity came in the ninth inning, when the home team once again managed to put two runners on base. However, Gabriel Moreno hit a ground ball to the shortstop that ended the comeback aspirations.
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The defeat represents another hard blow for Arizona at a decisive moment of the season. In their last eight games, the team has been limited to two runs or less on five occasions, while in seven of those games they produced two extra-base hits or less.
With barely 23 games remaining and a tight race for postseason spots, the Diamondbacks must improve their offensive production if they want to remain in contention for a playoff berth.
Ketel Marte’s return generated expectations, but the offense failed again when it was needed most and Arizona lost ground in the wild card race.
