Ketel Marte Delivers Unbelievable Walk-Off Blast for Diamondbacks

Ketel Marte probably had no business swinging at a slider, over a full ball's length below the zone. The Arizona Diamondbacks, also, probably had no business winning a game in which they squandered back-to-back innings of loaded bases with less than two outs.

But one swing can change everything.

With infielder Jose Fernandez at second base and rookie Ryan Waldschmidt at first, Marte, serving as Arizona's final out, crushed the inopportune slider 101 MPH off the bat, sending it 391 feet deep to left field.

It cleared the left field fence and flipped a 3-2 San Francisco Giants ninth-inning lead into a walk-off 5-3 victory for the Diamondbacks. It was a much-needed swing, both for Arizona and for Marte himself

Is this the turning point for Ketel Marte? pic.twitter.com/VzsdTIVUH8
— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) May 20, 2026

It was the first career walk-off home run for Marte, and his sixth of the season. Though much of the story surrounding Arizona's star second baseman this season has been his ugly slump — admittedly helped along by some poor batted ball luck — a blast like Tuesday's can certainly erase at least a portion of that frustration.

"First of all, we never give up. I do everything for my team," Marte said, speaking without a translator to the D-backs.TV postgame broadcast. "To get the homer in the ninth inning, my first homer as a walk-off of my career, it was awesome.

"We got a lot of talent here. They've got to make 27 outs. I believe in my guys, I believe in myself. We've got a good team. Everything I see right now, that's what I [saw] in 2023."

Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte walks off Giants with three-run homer

Arizona Diamondbacks Ketel Marte — May 13, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) celebrates after hitting a lead off single against the Texas Rangers during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Marte missed a game-tying homer in the bottom of the eighth inning, sending a ball 411 feet to center field for a deep flyout. It would have been gone in 24 of 30 ballparks.

That had been a recurring nightmare for Marte this season: hitting the ball extremely hard and coming up empty.

His .285 expected batting average coming in to Tuesday's game was nearly 70 points higher than his actual .217 average, and his Savant page was a sea of red despite a .630 OPS. That all contributed to a severely-underperforming D-backs offense (as a unit) in recent weeks.

Perhaps this was exactly the moment Marte needed to get back into a rhythm of results. Perhaps this was all the Diamondbacks needed to kick off a hot streak, as Arizona climbed over .500 for the first time since May 1.

"Ketel is made for those moments," manager Torey Lovullo said postgame. "He likes to step into that space, pick up his team. I was watching his post-game interview, and he said that he's just doing everything for the team, and that's the thing that keeps sticking out for me. Ketel and the rest of the guys, they're just so team-oriented.

"Ketel was fantastic. We built the inning with guys in front of him. We just never gave in, and we kept fighting despite some really tough outs that ended the seventh and the eighth inning, and that's what makes us even more impressive."

Marte certainly saved Arizona from a frustrating loss. Twice did the Diamondbacks hit into a ground ball double play to strand loaded bases in the prior inning, and many times were opportunities wasted at the plate.

If the Diamondbacks are going to have extended success, this can't be the last big moment for Marte this season. But as the All-Star infielder watched his winner fly, it certainly didn't hold the characteristics of a fluke.

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