PITTSBURGH (AP) — It was a strange sight after a big hit.
Ketel Marte’s two-out single in the 13th inning led the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. But, right after his go-ahead hit, Marte slammed his helmet down in frustration so hard that the sound could be heard all the way to the top of the ballpark. The second baseman was angry about being caught in a rundown to make the final out of the inning.
“I don’t want to get an out in that situation,” Marte said. “Part of my game is my emotion. I get mad sometimes, but we got the win, so I’m happy.”
Marte’s liner into center field off Tyler Glasnow (1-2) scored Jon Jay from second base as the NL West-leading Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in five games. Jay walked to start the rally, then advanced to second on a two-out wild pitch before Marte followed an intentional walk to David Peralta with his winning hit.
Marte was 0 for 5 when he stepped to the plate.
“He’s such a gifted player and he really grinded through that at-bat,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “It wasn’t the perfect day at the plate, but he put that aside and came through with a big hit in the perfect moment.”
Andrew Chafin (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning for the win, getting Josh Harrison to pop out with runners on first and second to end the 12th, and T.J. McFarland notched the first save of his six-year career with a perfect 13th.
The game was scoreless until both teams scored an unearned run in the 11th following a pitcher’s duel between Arizona’s Patrick Corbin and Pittsburgh’s Ivan Nova.
Corbin and Nova were nearly flawless as neither allowed a run and gave up just three hits. Nova pitched eight innings, while Corbin went seven.
Corbin’s 12 strikeouts matched his career high set April 4 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the left-hander had a stretch in which he set down 13 hitters in a row between the first and fifth innings. He had allowed a combined 10 runs in 11 1/3 innings in his previous two starts.
“You wish they could all be like that,” Corbin said. “We had a good game plan, I was making some good pitches and (catcher Jeff Mathis) was calling a lot of good pitches.”
Nova struck out eight and retired his last 12 batters. In three starts since being activated from the disabled list, Nova has permitted only one run in 19 2/3 innings after missing a little more than two weeks with a sprained right ring finger.
“It’s tough, man, because I did my part to give my team a chance to win the game,” Nova said. “We had some opportunities to win and we didn’t. When we got the chance, they took it away from us.”
In the top of the 11th, Jake Lamb scored from second base on catcher Elias Diaz’s wild throw. Diaz fielded Marte’s two-out chopper and threw to the foul side of the first-base bag for a two-base error.
The Pirates tied it the bottom of the inning when Lamb, the third baseman, bounced a throw when he tried to force Gregory Polanco at home with the bases loaded and one out on a grounder by Starling Marte.
The error pinned Brad Boxberger with his fourth blown save in 20 chances and second in as many appearances, but he prevented further damage by striking out David Freese and getting Diaz to ground out.
“He created an inning, but he wiggled out of the situation and gave us a chance to win,” Lovullo said.
It was the first time the Pirates had a runner in scoring position since the first inning.
The Diamondbacks got a runner to third base in the third, fifth, ninth and 10th innings, but failed to convert.
Rookie outfielder Austin Meadows had two of the Pirates’ four hits and is 8 for 18 in his last five games, raising his batting average to .347 through 29 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray (strained right oblique) is scheduled to make his third rehab start Monday, pitching for Triple-A Reno. … RHP Randall Delgado (strained left oblique) made his third rehab appearance for Reno on Thursday night and allowed two runs, one earned, and one hit in 1 2/3 innings with four strikeouts while throwing 34 pitches. He had pitched a combined 2 2/3 scoreless innings in his first two games.
Pirates: C Francisco Cervelli was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list and C Jacob Stallings recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. Cervelli left the Pirates’ against the Cubs at Chicago on June 9 in the fourth inning after being struck on the helmet and left side of his jaw by a foul tip off the bat of Jason Heyward. Cervelli passed the concussion protocol and played in six more games, but began feeling symptoms Thursday night late in the Pirates’ 9-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (6-5, 3.90 ERA) is 3-1 in four June starts despite a 4.63 ERA and 7-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates.
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove (2-2, 3.68) is 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA in three starts in June.
