Lovullo gave Marte a piece of advice, and he's been mashing ever since

PHOENIX -- Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo had a simple message for Ketel Marte just days ago: Be kind to yourself.

It’s safe to say that message was received.

Marte finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Nolan Arenado added two RBIs and Zac Gallen pitched 5 1/3 innings as the Diamondbacks beat the Rockies, 5-4, at Chase Field on Saturday. Arizona has won six of its last seven games, and can take three of four against the Rockies with a win on Sunday.

Marte has always enjoyed a special relationship with Lovullo, who recalled a chat he had with the 32-year-old slugger nearly two weeks ago.

“He just was grinding so hard, and I think he was feeling like he was carrying this entire state, and all the baseball fans that are in this amazing state, on his shoulders,” Lovullo said. “He [felt like he] was letting everybody down, and I could see that in his face.”

Marte has been on an absolute tear lately, posting a .500 batting average with three home runs and nine RBIs over his last seven games. It’s a far cry from how the three-time All-Star started this season, batting .211 and .237 in March and April, respectively.

It’s not that Marte needed the pep talk. After all, the 2023 NLCS MVP has over 4,700 regular-season at-bats in the big leagues. Even so, Lovullo tried a few different tactics to get him going, including lineup shifts.

Marte, though, asked to move back into the leadoff spot a few weeks ago -- “We were winning games then,” Lovullo recalled him saying -- but the real difference has been his dedication to getting back on track.

“I just said, 'Be kind to yourself, just be yourself,’” Lovullo said. “Go out there and you're going to be fine. Flush days. Flush good days, flush bad days, and tomorrow is another one.”

Eventually, all of those tomorrows added up to what has become a hot-hitting frenzy.

“Torey’s given me some good advice and encouragement, and I’m just going to continue to work,” Marte said through interpreter Alex Arpiza. “It’s a long season, so I’m just going to continue to get better and better.”

Gallen, meanwhile, earned the win after allowing three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He threw 82 pitches, 52 for strikes, and struck out six while walking two en route to his third win of the season.

Lovullo said the decision to remove Gallen after just 82 pitches is part of the staff’s overall strategy, as the club is trying to give tired arms a rest as Arizona approaches the dog days of summer. That’s nothing new for Gallen, a veteran who has thrown nearly 1,000 innings over his eight-year career.

He is now 10-1 in 19 career starts against the Rockies, and he has earned more wins and recorded more strikeouts (127) against Colorado than any other opponent he has faced in his eight seasons as a big league pitcher. He generated five whiffs on 11 swings with his slider, and struck out three batters with his four-seamer, which accounted for 33 of his 82 pitches.

Marte’s outburst, including a towering two-run blast in the fourth, ensured Gallen would be in line for the win despite his early exit. That home run, which restored the Diamondbacks’ three-run lead at the time, had an exit velocity of 112.4 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 424 feet.

“Just like always, be well positioned at the plate,” Marte nonchalantly said. “I just put my best swing on it.”

Neither Saturday’s output nor Marte’s recent offensive prowess have come as a surprise to Lovullo.

“He's a pretty special player, and I knew he would have this moment,” Lovullo said. “My conversation maybe helped him relax that day and that night, but he wants to get hits, and he wants to get big hits that help us win games.”

Marte has been doing a lot of that lately, but for him, it’s just business as usual.

“I haven’t changed anything, it’s just now the hits are landing,” Marte said. “I’m just always working the same way, and I’m thankful to God.”

The Diamondbacks are back in action on Sunday, wrapping up their four-game set against Colorado before hitting the road for six straight games.