BALTIMORE -- Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was a late scratch from Tuesday night’s game against the Orioles with lower back tightness, one day after the 12th multihomer game of his career.
Marte was slated to bat in the leadoff position, which he has inhabited nearly all of this season for Arizona. Instead, Ildemaro Vargas moved over from first and into the leadoff spot, Nolan Arenado moved up one spot to fifth, and Luken Baker took over first base and batted sixth.
In Monday’s series opener, Marte took Dean Kremer’s first pitch of the game and launched it a Statcast-projected 443 feet, becoming the first Diamondbacks slugger to reach Eutaw Street in the history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. (It was only Arizona’s 13th game in club history at the venue.)
He followed with a third-inning solo shot that also sailed well beyond the out-of-town scoreboard in right.
Nolan Arenado also homered twice for the Diamondbacks, but late bullpen struggles resulted in a 9-7 loss to the Orioles.