Diamondbacks fall to Cardinals after Ketel Marte skips ABS challenge

Arizona’s Diamondbacks lost 5-4 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, ending a four‑game winning streak. The loss hinged on second baseman Ketel Marte’s failure to activate MLB’s new Automated Ball‑Strike (ABS) challenge system before a called strike three, a pitch that replays later showed was high and outside the zone. Marte’s missed challenge exhausted one of the team’s two remaining ABS challenges.

Manager Torey Lovullo said he had not discussed the error with Marte before the game and would address it later. He also noted other mistakes, including an early‑inning error that produced two unearned runs and a pinch‑runner pickoff in the ninth. Lovullo emphasized the team would review all 15 issues that contributed to the defeat.