Corbin Carroll’s Walk-Off Homer Lifts Diamondbacks Over Marlins in 8-7 Thriller

Carroll Delivers Dramatic Ninth Inning Winner

The Arizona Diamondbacks kept pace in the National League playoff race in dramatic fashion Monday night, rallying from a three-run deficit before Corbin Carroll delivered a two-run, walk-off homer in the ninth inning to beat the Miami Marlins 8-7.

With one out in the ninth, Carroll pulled a splitter from Marlins reliever Jack Ralston into the right-field seats for his 21st home run of the season. The ball stayed just inside the right-field foul pole, giving Arizona a stunning comeback victory and another crucial win in its pursuit of a playoff spot.

The moment was especially significant for Carroll, who has struggled since the All-Star break. The star outfielder entered the game batting just .214 over that stretch but came through when the Diamondbacks needed him most.

The victory kept Arizona 2 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres for the final National League wild-card spot. San Diego has won eight consecutive games, leaving the Diamondbacks with little margin for error as the regular season winds down.

Marlins Suffer Another Late Collapse

Miami appeared to have control of the game entering the late innings, but Arizona steadily chipped away at the deficit. Jordan Lawlar started the comeback in the eighth inning when he launched a two-run homer off Tyler Zuber, cutting Miami’s lead to 7-6. That set the stage for the dramatic ninth inning and Carroll’s game-winning blast.

The Marlins also faced an unexpected pitching change to begin the ninth. Closer Pete Fairbanks walked leadoff hitter Gabriel Moreno and threw one pitch to Geraldo Perdomo before leaving the game with an apparent injury. Ralston entered and retired Perdomo on a sacrifice bunt, but Carroll followed with the decisive two-run homer.

Alcantara Battles for Five Innings

Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings while striking out six. Despite allowing four runs, the veteran right-hander finished his outing with a strong escape from a dangerous situation.

With one out and the bases loaded, Alcantara struck out Nolan Arenado before retiring Tim Tawa on a flyout to end the threat. Alcantara has now thrown 205 innings this season, the most in the major leagues, continuing to carry a significant workload for Miami.

Burnes Struggles in Second Start Back From Tommy John Surgery

Arizona starter Corbin Burnes also had a difficult night in his second start since returning from Tommy John surgery on Sept. 8. Burnes surrendered five runs over 4 2/3 innings, including back-to-back home runs by Jakob Marsee and Javier Sanoja.

Despite his struggles, Arizona’s bullpen and late offensive surge helped the Diamondbacks overcome the early deficit. Juan Morillo closed out the game for Arizona by striking out the side in the ninth inning, earning the win and setting the stage for Carroll’s walk-off heroics.

Diamondbacks and Marlins Look Ahead to Tuesday

The Diamondbacks will try to build on the dramatic victory when the series continues Tuesday night. Arizona will send right-hander Michael Soroka to the mound with an 8-5 record and 3.53 ERA. Miami will counter with right-hander Janson Junk, who enters with a 6-9 record and 4.54 ERA.

For the Diamondbacks, Monday’s victory was more than just another win. With the Padres surging and the postseason race tightening, Carroll’s walk-off homer could prove to be one of Arizona’s most important moments of the final weeks of the regular season.