Ketel Marte receives standing ovation from Diamondbacks fans in first home game since controversial heckling
Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte received a warm welcome from Diamondbacks fans in the first inning of the team's 9-8 loss to the Miami Marlins at Chase Field on Friday night.
It was the team's first game at home since the Diamondbacks' 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday when a fan shouted derogatory comments about Marte's late mother, Elpidia Valdez. She died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic in 2017.
The comments brought Marte to tears, and the star second baseman was consoled on the mound by Diamondbacks' manager Torey Lovullo during a pitching change.
The fan who made the cruel comments toward Marte was ejected from the game and banned indefinitely from attending all MLB ballparks, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to Fox News Digital.
In the Diamondbacks-White Sox game on Wednesday, the White Sox displayed a supportive message on their scoreboard during Marte's at-bat in the first inning.
"Baseball is Family: The White Sox community supports Ketel Marte," the message said.
When Marte walked up to the plate in the bottom of the first inning on Friday, he received similar support as he received a standing ovation.
Diamondbacks fans wore pink shirts that read, "Ketel is my MVP" while other fans brought signs that read, "Arizona loves Ketel."
Marte tipped his helmet and tapped his bat to his chest in acknowledgment of the crowd's vociferous support.
The 31-year-old went 0-4 with a walk in the loss, but he is in the midst of another great season. The two-time NL All-Star has a .307 batting average with 15 home runs and 32 RBI in 55 games this season.
The Diamondbacks (41-40) will look to bounce back against the red-hot Marlins (35-45), who have won their last five games, on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET.
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