Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Geraldo Perdomo Are Stuck in the Mud and Arizona's Offense Knows It

The Arizona Diamondbacks' top three hitters are supposed to be the engine that drives this lineup. Instead, they're sputtering like a car on fumes. After combining for just four hits and producing the only run in Monday's 1-0 victory over the Texas Rangers, Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, and Geraldo Perdomo are hunting for some offensive consistency as the series continues Tuesday in Arlington.

Here's the brutal reality: these three used to carry the load. Arizona led all of Major League Baseball with 886 runs in 2024 and placed sixth with 791 runs last season. This year? The D-backs rank in the bottom third in scoring. The team sits 27th in on-base percentage and 24th in OPS. That's not playoff baseball. That's a lineup that needs answers, and it needs them fast.

One Step Forward, But Still Miles Behind

Monday's win felt more like a lucky punch than a statement. Back-to-back doubles from Carroll and Perdomo in the first inning were literally all the Diamondbacks needed in the 1-0 shutout. Marte went 1-for-4. Carroll finished 1-for-2 with two walks. Perdomo went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Manager Torey Lovullo wasn't exactly thrilled with the performance, even in victory.

"It's not anything we want to keep doing," Lovullo said about sneaking out a low-scoring win. "We want to bang the baseball and score a lot of runs."

The numbers tell the real story. Carroll, the best of the three to start the season, is hitting .261 with five homers and 20 RBIs. Perdomo has climbed to .228. Marte is down at .213. These are guys who should be well above those marks by May.

"They are all doing OK, but I think they are better than just doing OK," Lovullo acknowledged. He's shuffling them around the top of the order trying to find magic. Marte has hit first and second. Carroll has hit second and third. Perdomo has hit in all three spots. It's the baseball version of rearranging deck chairs, and Lovullo needs one of them to break out before it's too late in the season.

Gallen Struggles on the Road While Gore Tries to Stabilize

Arizona sends right-hander Zac Gallen (1-3, 4.70 ERA) to the mound Tuesday against Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore (2-3, 5.18 ERA). Neither pitcher is exactly inspiring confidence right now.

Gallen is 0-2 with a 5.08 ERA over his last six starts and hasn't won since April 1. Things got ugly against Pittsburgh on Thursday, when he threw 100 pitches in a 4-2 loss, giving up four runs and two homers in six innings. On the road this season, he's been particularly brutal: 0-2 with a 7.13 ERA in four starts. That said, history gives Gallen some hope. He's 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA against Texas in six career matchups, though he has no decisions and a 5.40 ERA in two starts at Globe Life Field.

Gore arrived at the season with momentum but has completely fallen apart. Since April 8, when he threw five scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners, he's been a disaster. Gore is 0-3 with a 6.85 ERA in that span. Last Thursday against the Yankees, he held a 2-1 lead through five innings before surrendering five runs in the sixth and taking a 9-2 loss. A popup that dropped in for a hit didn't help matters.

"I think after every good or bad outing, you have to be honest," Gore said. "There's definitely some things we did better than the last one here. We're going to move on. It's frustrating right now."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.