Marte's inside-the-parker ends with slick slide
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PHOENIX -- As soon as the ball got past a diving Gerardo Parra in center field in the third inning of Arizona's 7-5 victory over Washington on Sunday afternoon, you knew Ketel Marte had a chance for one of the most exciting plays in baseball -- an inside-the-park home run.
Marte crushed a Patrick Corbin offering -- 106.5 mph off the bat -- to the left-field side of Parra, who dove and came up empty as the ball went to the wall.
By the time left fielder Juan Soto got to the ball, Marte was flying around the bases.
“Once I was rounding second and I saw [third-base coach Tony Perezchica] giving me the green light, still I thought, ‘OK, this might actually happen,’” Marte said. “But all the time I was just focusing on going full speed and going as fast as I possibly could.”
Soto threw the ball to shortstop Trea Turner, whose relay throw home was a little high, allowing Marte to avoid Yan Gomes' tag with a slick slide to the front side of home plate.
It was the second career inside-the-park home run for Marte, with the other coming on July 26, 2017, also at Chase Field. It was the 17th inside-the-park homer in Arizona franchise history and the second this year.
Blake Swihart also recorded the feat on May 15 against the Pirates at Chase Field.