Diamondbacks outlast Giants behind Marte’s heroics

The Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t need to play a perfect game to beat the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday at Chase Field. They just needed to play better baseball when it mattered most, and that’s exactly what they did in a 6-3 victory that felt far more decisive than the final margin suggests.

This game was decided in the middle innings, when Arizona’s offense finally woke up and made Tyler Mahle pay for his early control issues. The Giants’ starter gave up eight hits and six earned runs through five innings, a performance that would have gotten him yanked even earlier if the San Francisco bullpen wasn’t already stretched thin. Merrill Kelly, meanwhile, kept the Giants’ dangerous lineup largely in check, scattering eight hits across six innings while allowing just three runs. That’s not exactly a dominant outing, but it was clean enough to get the job done.

Ketel Marte was the story here, and frankly, it wasn’t even close. The Diamondbacks’ middle infielder went 3-for-3 with a two-run blast in the third inning that essentially put this game out of reach. That’s the kind of performance that changes momentum in a hurry, and the Giants never recovered. Marte’s at-bat quality was elite, and you could see it in every swing. He wasn’t just getting hits. He was solving Mahle’s approach and punishing mistakes.

Casey Schmitt gave the Giants hope early with a solo shot in the first inning, and Bryce Eldridge’s sharp double in the second scored Chapman to keep San Francisco within striking distance. Drew Gilbert added an RBI single in the fourth, but these were just consolation prizes in a game that got away from them. The Giants’ lineup showed some fight, but not nearly enough firepower to overcome Arizona’s superior execution.

Perdomo’s Clutch Double Puts It Away

The dagger came in the fifth inning when Geraldo Perdomo lined a two-run double that scored both Waldschmidt and Marte. That was the moment when the Giants’ hopes died. Perdomo finished 1-for-3 but drove in three runs, the kind of high-leverage production that wins games in May and beyond. By that point, Arizona’s lead was insurmountable, and Paul Sewald cruised through the ninth for a clean save.

Kelly’s Control Keeps Giants at Bay

What stood out about Kelly’s performance wasn’t the strikeouts. It was the lack of walks. Zero walks through six innings against a Giants lineup that can take advantage of free passes. That’s pitcher’s baseball, the kind of disciplined outing that separates professionals from pretenders. When you combine that control with reasonably efficient pitch counts and solid defense behind him, you get a W in the column.

The Giants had their chances on Wednesday, but baseball is a game of execution and timely hitting. San Francisco got neither when it mattered most. Mahle couldn’t establish his fastball early, and once Arizona got momentum, the Giants couldn’t claw their way back. That’s the reality of baseball in late May. Small advantages compound quickly, and Arizona seized theirs with both hands.