Arizona Diamondbacks cut series lead with tight NLCS Game 3 win against Philadelphia Phillies
By Ben Church, CNN
(CNN) — The Arizona Diamondbacks secured a vital Game 3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday to stop from falling to a 0-3 hole in the National League Championship Series (NLCS).
During a tense game, in which the Diamondbacks were on the verge of yet another defeat, Ketel Marte came up clutch to secure a 2-1 win in Phoenix.
The Phillies had gone ahead in the top of the seventh after Bryce Harper scored on a Ryan Thompson wild pitch, but Arizona dug deep to level the scores in the bottom of the inning after Lourdes Gurriel Jr’s RBI double sent Alek Thomas home.
It teed up a tense ninth inning but, when it mattered most, the Diamondbacks could rely on Marte to keep his nerve.
With the bases loaded, the hitter smashed a walk-off single off Craig Kimbrel to spark wild celebrations at Chase Field.
Marte is now one of only six players in MLB history to have hit in each of his last 12-game postseason games – a streak which dates back to 2017.
“Marte’s been doing that all year for us,” first baseman Christian Walker told reporters, per the MLB website.
“I’ve been watching this guy do this for four or five years now. It’s not a surprise. He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever been around. He knows when to let it fly.
“He knows when to tone it back and dump one into the outfield. He executes, day in and day out.”
All eyes will now swing towards Game 4 on Friday. The Phillies looked unbeatable earlier in the series, but the Diamondbacks will hope to use Game 3 as a springboard to even up the NLCS.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
