D-backs can exhale after Marte, Gallen injury scares: 'We need them'
PHOENIX -- The result on the field was once again positive for the D-backs, who defeated the Phillies, 11-1, on Saturday night in front of a huge crowd at Chase Field, but even more importantly for them, they also got good news from the trainer¡¯s room.
In the span of one inning, the D-backs watched All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte limp off the field after colliding with Garrett Stubbs, who over-slid second base while stretching a single into a double in the top of the fourth, and ace right-hander Zac Gallen walk gingerly off the mound in the top of the fifth.
¡°You're just hoping for the best,¡± outfielder Jake McCarthy said of watching two key parts of the team exit with injuries. ¡°Obviously, every game counts, but in that moment, you're just like, ¡®All right, let's make sure they're healthy.¡¯ We need them moving forward.¡±
The good news is it looks like neither player will need to miss significant time.
Marte was diagnosed with a left ankle contusion, which is certainly a much better outcome than it looked like when his ankle got caught under the sliding Stubbs.
¡°It was horrible,¡± Stubbs said of the incident. ¡°I¡¯m going to text somebody over there later tonight and see how everything¡¯s going with him. When I hit him, I hit him with my collarbone, and I knew that I got him good. I immediately reached for him and obviously he was in some pain and I hope he¡¯s all right.¡±
Marte, who hit his 30th homer of the season in the first, said he had no issues with the slide, calling Stubbs a ¡°good kid¡± who ¡°wasn¡¯t trying to hurt me.¡±
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said he hoped that Marte would be available in some form Sunday. For his part, Marte said that he would be OK, but that ¡°I just need a day.¡±
If that¡¯s all he misses, it will be a big sigh of relief for the D-backs, as Marte is currently one of the top candidates for the NL Most Valuable Player award given the way he has performed both offensively and defensively this year.
¡°I feel better,¡± Marte said. ¡°Thankfully it came out well. I was a little scared at first, but thankfully it came out well. I¡¯ll be ready by Monday.¡±
As he limped off the field, the crowd chanted ¡°M-V-P,¡± something they also did each time he came to the plate.
¡°When I hear that I¡¯m proud of myself and it feels good,¡± Marte said. ¡°But right now I¡¯m not focused on that. I¡¯m focused on helping my team.¡±
As for Gallen, he experienced cramping that he said started in his upper leg area and moved up and across his body. He felt it when he moved awkwardly to try and snag a grounder up the middle.
With the crowd of 46,183 filling the ballpark and an outside game time temperature of 106 degrees, it was quite warm inside the stadium, which may have contributed to Gallen cramping up.
¡°I think it¡¯s the middle of August, you guys know how it is here, it's hot as can be out,¡± Gallen said. ¡°We had a good turnout tonight so maybe it was extra people in the building, a little less cool air to go around maybe? So, it is what it is. I think we can use it as an advantage for us. Teams come in here and aren¡¯t used to playing in that type of environment so we can have a leg up.¡±
Gallen, who finished third in the NL Cy Young award voting last year, is not worried about missing a start or suffering any ill effects from the cramping.
¡°I¡¯m not too concerned about it,¡± Gallen said. ¡°Just maybe hydrate a little better next time.¡±
One person who shouldn¡¯t be doing anything different right now is outfielder Jake McCarthy, who collected his first career mutihomer game with a pair of two-run homers that helped pace the offense.