Marte sits after a shaky performance

Second baseman Ketel Marte’s day off on Sunday was just that — a regular, pre-scheduled off day, according to manager Torey Lovullo. It just so happened to come a day after another rough performance for the club’s star player, who went hitless at the plate and failed to make two defensive plays.

Lovullo did not try to downplay how Marte has looked through the first two weeks of the season. In 15 games, Marte is 10 for 59 (.169) with four walks and 18 strikeouts. Defensively, there have been at least a half-dozen plays he was unable to make that he likely would have made in previous seasons.

What Lovullo said, in so many words, was that he wasn’t worried.

“I know it looks awkward and that it’s a hotspot right now,” Lovullo said. “But, for me, it’s really not.”

In the fifth inning on Saturday, Marte backhanded a ball hit by the Mets’ slowfooted catcher, Tomas Nido, and, rather than taking his time and setting his feet, Marte hurried a weak throw, allowing Nido to leg out an infield single. Two innings later, Marte booted a routine double-play ball in the seventh inning on a play that was ruled an error.

Lovullo believes Marte just needs a chance to reacclimate himself to second base after spending most of last year playing center field.

“That takes a little time,” Lovullo said. “That takes a little bit of work, which he is putting in. He’s working extremely hard every single day.”

Offensively, Lovullo noted that Marte has been expanding the strike zone more than in the past. His chase rate is at 31.9 percent; he has ranged between 24 and 28.6 percent the past five seasons. Lovullo said this is particularly true when Marte is hitting right-handed.

“Left-handed, I think there are some mechanical adjustments that he’s making; I think it has to do with his balance,” Lovullo said. “His lower half is maybe too aggressive and he’s coming out of his swing with the top half. Just getting squared up, trusting his hands and trusting his path.”

When Marte received a contract extension four years ago, he later admitted it caused him to press, trying to prove he was worthy of the deal. Lovullo was asked if he thinks that could again be the case with Marte, who signed a five-year, $76 million extension last month.

“Not for me,” Lovullo said. “He’s a very mature, confident player. Maybe the first time you start to earn some money and there’s a guarantee, you try too hard. I think he’s learned that. He knows what he’s got to do every single day. I don’t think there’s any distraction in that area.”

First save and a beauty

Reliever Joe Mantiply earned his first career save on Saturday, helped by what might have been the Diamondbacks’

best defensive play of the season so far — a diving stop and throw by third baseman Sergio Alcantara to end the game.

Alcantara said Mantiply thanked him. Mantiply gave Alcantara a big hug, retrieved the ball and got it authenticated.

Alcantara said he gets an instinct sometimes as to where to anticipate the ball will be hit, and was ready for pinch hitter J.D. Davis’ sharp grounder to his right. He gave credit to third base coach Tony Perezchica, with whom Alcantara has been working on positioning and defense.

Alcantara was playing off the line a little bit, and with Perezchica’s guidance moved slightly to his right before the ball was hit. It worked out well.

Mantiply knew before the ninth inning, based on the Mets’ lineup, that he would get in the game, but there was a chance that he would take the eighth inning and Ian Kennedy the ninth. The reverse happened.

Mantiply felt more nerves and stress being on the mound in the ninth, but he tried to keep the same approach as he would with hitters earlier in the game.

Mantiply had a nine-game, 7 1/3inning scoreless streak entering Sunday’s game.

“I’ve been throwing strikes and just trying to get after guys early,” he said. “I feel like, a lot of major league hitters, the more pitches they see the better chances they have.”