Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and their potent bats remain at the top of the Arizona Diamondbacks lineup, but it has come with a twist this season.
Marte has hit leadoff in each of the Diamondbacks’ first four games after settling in at No. 2 last season. Carroll was bumped up to No. 2 spot and Perdomo is third after hitting leadoff for much of last season.
Carroll homered, tripled and drove in four runs and Marte reached base twice and scored as the Diamondbacks survived a scare from the Detroit Tigers to win their home opener 9-6 on Monday. Arizona was swept in a three-game series by the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the season.
Arizona and Detroit will continue their three-game series Tuesday night in Phoenix.
“We know what it’s like to open up in L.A. and lose some close games like last year,” said Detroit manager A.J. Hinch, whose Tigers were swept in their season-opening road series by the Dodgers last year.
Arizona pitcher Brandon Pfaadt will face fellow right-hander Casey Mize on Tuesday, when each makes his first start of the season.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo likened Marte’s presence at the top of the lineup to that of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
“I just know what it’s like when Ohtani comes to the plate and leads off a game,” Lovullo said. “There’s a presence. He can impact that game. It’s a force. And I think Ketel has that same quality.
“I want the best three hitters hitting at the top,” the manager continued. “Whatever that order is, I might mix it up a little bit. But for right now, I like the force at the beginning of the lineup with Marte. I like the ability to slug with Corbin, and I like Perdomo to be able to bring it all together.
“He can do it all. He’s a run producer. He can see pitches. He can get on base via a base hit the other way. I like those first three for different reasons.”
Pfaadt was 13-9 with a 5.25 ERA in 33 starts during a peaks-and-valleys 2025. Midway through the season, Pfaadt led the National League in victories and was near the bottom in ERA among qualifiers.
Pfaadt, who signed a five-year, $45 million contract at this time a year ago, gave up one run and three hits in three spring training starts. He struck out 11 and walked three in 10 innings.
“At times last year where he got into problems, his sweeper wasn’t as consistent as we had seen it,” Lovullo said. “For whatever reason, it wasn’t always there, and I think that was a top priority for him.”
Pfaadt threw strikes with a four-pitch mix a year ago, when he led the National League with an average of 1.9 walks per nine innings. He had a severe home-road split, going 9-3 with a 3.24 ERA at home and 4-6 with a 7.71 ERA on the road.
He has faced the Tigers once, a 12-2 loss last July which he gave up seven runs on 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings, one of six appearances in which he gave up at least six earned runs.
Mize had a career year in 2025, when he was 14-6 with a 3.87 ERA in 28 starts. He had a rough spring numerically, giving up 24 hits and 17 runs (14 earned) in 19 1/3 innings. He walked 10 and struck out 15.
“I enjoy watching us play, but I’m looking forward to when I get to play,” Mize said.
–Field Level Media
