PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks have confirmed to be a formidable foe for the Mets. Final week, they crashed the occasion at Citi Area and threw one in every of their very own with a collection win. This week within the desert, the Mets overcame a late rally within the first sport of the three-game set earlier than failing to mount a comeback of their very own within the second sport.
The Mets misplaced 5-1 on Tuesday evening at Chase Area, placing runners on second and third within the high of the ninth however stranded them each.
All issues thought-about, this might need been the worst sport the Mets have performed but this season, and it wasn’t even that dangerous. However after rising to the highest of the standings in April, the Mets have cooled a bit in Might as they’ve handled accidents and hard pitching. They’ve misplaced 5 of their final seven, however solely by a mixed 9 runs.
“You’re going to go through stretches where you’ve got to find a way,” stated supervisor Carlos Mendoza. “You’ve got to fight, and you want to go through some ups and downs. I feel like overall, we’ve been right there on every game. The guys continue to compete and that’s what you want.”
The Mets (23-14) might need gotten fortunate with an harm Tuesday evening. Within the backside of the fourth with the sport tied at 1-1, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ripped a double to the left discipline nook, and left fielder Brandon Nimmo hyperextended his left knee attempting to discipline it. He got here up limping and middle fielder Tyrone Taylor rapidly signaled for the trainers to return out and verify on him.
Nimmo remained within the sport, although clearly hobbled.
“Felt it hyperextend when I went over to break down to get the ball, and was fortunately able to get off of it pretty quickly and, I think, prevent any more damage from being done,” Nimmo stated. “So we’ll see how it is in the next 12 hours or so, but I expect to be good to go to play.”
Nimmo was seen by a health care provider after the sport, who stated the knee is steady.
“For the most part, I think we dodged a bullet,” he stated.
However the Mets couldn’t dodge the D-backs within the inning.
Left-hander David Peterson gave up what was dominated as a leadoff double from Randal Grichuk, a ground-ball that went proper in between the legs of third baseman Mark Vientos, then walked Eugenio Suarez. Josh Naylor beat out a double play ball to attain Grichuk and tie the sport at 1-1. The inning continued with Gurriel’s double and a sacrifice fly to attain Naylor and provides the Snakes a 2-1 lead.
Peterson would go on to surrender two extra runs within the sixth inning, permitting 4 complete on 5 hits, whereas strolling 4 and putting out six over six innings.
“Kind of a mixed bag,” Peterson (2-2) stated about his outing. “Felt good with my stuff, but poor execution on a few pitches and too many free bases with no one on.”
The Mets’ solely run got here within the high of the third when right-hander Zac Gallen (3-4) walked three straight after Tyrone Taylor beat out a double play. Pete Alonso labored a bases-loaded stroll to attain Taylor with two outs, however Starling Marte checked out three straight strikes to depart them loaded and finish the inning.
“I thought we had some really good at bats there,” stated Mendoza. “It was good to see Tyrone beating out the double play and keeping the inning alive… We just didn’t come up with the big hit with two outs, you know? But I thought in that inning, we took some really good at-bats.”
Gallen went seven innings, strolling three and putting out six. With shaky fastball command, he relied on his secondary pitches and successfully saved the Mets off steadiness.
It might have been a distinct sport had Vientos made a play on the double by Grichuk or had Marte swung the bat, however that’s not the way in which it labored out. They’ll attempt to shut out the collection with a win in opposition to the Diamondbacks (19-18) on Wednesday afternoon.
