Ketel Marte hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks opened a three-game series against the Miami Marlins with a 4-3 victory on Monday in Phoenix.
Daulton Varsho, Christian Walker and Marte each had two hits and an RBI for Arizona, which has won 10 of its last 13 games to move a season-high two games over .500 at 16-14.
The Diamondbacks have won each of their first four meetings against Miami this season by one run.
Garrett Cooper hit a solo homer and Jacob Stallings drove in two runs for the Marlins, who lost for the eighth time in their past nine games.
Kyle Nelson (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning in relief to earn his first career victory in his 23rd appearance. Mark Melancon worked around a leadoff single in the ninth while recording his sixth save.
Arizona opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning against Elieser Hernandez (2-2).
Varsho belted a leadoff double and David Peralta drew a one-out walk. Walker’s double knocked in Varsho, and Josh Rojas followed with a bunt single that scored Peralta from third.
Hernandez escaped further damage when Marte flied out and Seth Beer struck out with runners at the corners.
The Marlins loaded the bases in the second with two outs and pulled even on Stallings’ two-run single off Humberto Castellanos.
Arizona moved ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the second when Alek Thomas reached first on an error by second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., moved to second on a groundout and scored on Varsho’s single.
The Marlins answered with Cooper’s leadoff homer in the fourth off Castellanos, who allowed three runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked one and struck out four.
Hernandez retired 10 straight batters before Marte broke the tie with a one-out solo homer in the sixth. Marte extended his hitting streak to nine games with the 438-foot blast.
Hernandez yielded four runs (three earned) on six hits over 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and fanned five.
Miami threatened in the eighth, putting two runners on with one out before Joey Wendle and Cooper both lined out against Ian Kennedy to end the inning.
–Field Level Media