PHOENIX (Interstat) — Jakob Marsee homered and drove in two runs, and the Miami Marlins held off the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-3 on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, at Chase Field.

Marsee went 2 for 3 and delivered the game’s biggest swing in the third inning. After Javier Sanoja singled, Marsee hit a two-run homer to right-center field, giving Miami a three-run lead. The Marlins had taken a 2-0 advantage in the second when Heriberto Hernández singled to third base, scoring Marsee and Xavier Edwards. A throwing error by Nolan Arenado allowed the play to develop, and Kyle Stowers also advanced.

Miami finished with 10 hits. Arizona also finished with 10 hits. The Marlins scored twice in the second and twice in the third, then relied on their pitching staff to protect the lead. The Diamondbacks answered with solo home runs from Pavin Smith in the second, Gabriel Moreno in the fifth and Arenado in the eighth. Arizona never scored more than one run in an inning.

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly took the loss. Kelly pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowed seven hits and three earned runs, and struck out nine. He fell to 9-14. Miami reliever Cade Gibson earned the win, improving to 5-1. Gibson worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one. Sandy Alcantara got his first save with a scoreless ninth.

The Marlins opened the game with traffic but did not score in the first. Kyle Stowers singled and Hernández singled with one out, but Kelly struck out Otto Lopez, Griffin Conine and Javier Sanoja to end the threat. Miami broke through in the second. Marsee doubled to center, Edwards walked, and after two outs, Stowers walked to load the bases. Hernández then grounded a single to third base, and an error by Arenado helped Marsee and Edwards score.

Arizona got one back in the bottom of the second when Smith homered to right-center. The Diamondbacks had missed an earlier chance in the first. Ketel Marte singled, Moreno singled and Geraldo Perdomo walked to load the bases with one out. Corbin Carroll struck out swinging, and Arenado flied out to shortstop Lopez to end the inning.

Miami answered quickly in the third. Sanoja singled to left, and Marsee followed with his 11th home run of the season, a fly ball to right-center that scored Sanoja. The blast made it 4-1 and provided the winning margin. Kelly settled in after that, but the early damage was enough.

Arizona threatened again in the fourth. Arenado singled, Jesús Sánchez flied out, Smith singled and Tim Tawa flied out to move Arenado to third. Lars Nootbaar grounded out to end the inning. Moreno doubled in the third and reached third on a Perdomo groundout, but Carroll popped out to first baseman Stowers.

Miami put a runner in scoring position in the fifth. Lopez singled, stole second and moved up on a Conine strikeout, but Sanoja lined out and Edwards grounded out. Marsee walked later in the inning, but the Marlins could not add on.

Arizona cut the deficit in the fifth. Marte struck out, but Moreno homered to left field. Perdomo followed with a single, chasing Miami starter Ryan Gusto. Gibson entered and got Carroll to pop out before Arenado grounded out to first.

Gusto pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs while striking out four. Gibson finished the fifth and worked the sixth. In the sixth, Jose Fernandez singled, but Pavin Smith grounded into a double play from shortstop Lopez to first baseman Stowers. Tawa struck out swinging to end the inning.

Miami’s Jack Ralston took over in the seventh and retired the side in order. Nootbaar struck out, Marte grounded out and Moreno flied out to Marsee in center. Ralston returned for the eighth and struck out Perdomo and Carroll before Arenado homered to left-center, pulling Arizona within one. Fernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.

In the top of the ninth, Miami tried to add insurance. Stowers struck out, but Hernández singled and Lopez singled to put two runners on. Jonathan Loáisiga then induced a double play from Conine, with Loáisiga fielding the ball and starting the turn to shortstop Perdomo and first baseman Smith.

Alcantara entered for the ninth and retired Smith and Tawa on fly balls. Nootbaar walked with two outs, bringing Jordan Lawlar to the plate as a potential tying run. Lawlar attempted to steal second, but Mack threw to Lopez and the tag was applied. Arizona challenged the call, and the ruling on the field was upheld, ending the game.

Arizona’s bullpen kept the Diamondbacks close. Dennis Santana pitched two scoreless innings without allowing a hit. Ryne Nelson worked 1 1/3 innings, allowing one hit and no earned runs. Loáisiga’s double play in the ninth prevented further damage.

Moreno finished 3 for 4 with a home run and one RBI for Arizona. Arenado went 2 for 4 with a home run and one RBI. For Miami, Marsee went 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs. Hernández, Lopez and Stowers combined for key hits, while Edwards scored a run. Lopez stole his 31st base of the season in the fifth.

Miami pitchers combined for 14 strikes, 48 balls and 14 balls in play. Arizona pitchers combined for 15 strikes, 55 balls and 15 balls in play. The game took 2 hours, 51 minutes and drew 22,162 to Chase Field.

The Marlins improved to 76-77. The Diamondbacks fell to 80-73. Miami’s previous game was a 4-2 win over Arizona in 11 innings on Sept. 15. Arizona had won 8-7 over Miami on Sept. 14. Miami next travels to San Diego, while Arizona next hosts the New York Yankees.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected Arizona Diamondbacks 6, Miami Marlins 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Arizona with a 55.2 percent probability to win. Arizona had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 7 went over the over/under line of 9.