The Mets were four outs away from their second straight win, but Edwin Diaz allowed a go-ahead grand slam as New York fell, 8-5, to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday night in Arizona.
The Mets (69-64) are now 4.0 games behind the Braves after Atlanta won earlier in the evening.
Here are the takeaways…
-The Mets bullpen was very good in relief of Luis Severino, who could not get through five innings after getting hit in the foot by a liner. The combination of Huascar Brazoban, Danny Young and Reed Garrett got seven outs without giving up a run in relief before handing the ball to the high-leverage relievers in the eighth.
Mendoza called upon Phil Maton to start the eighth inning instead of Dedniel Nunez — who hasn’t pitched since Saturday — and after a leadoff walk, he got the next two batters out. Diaz was then asked to get a four-out save, but the Mets closer walked the next two batters to load the bases for Corbin Carroll. The 2023 NL Rookie of the Year launched a hanging slider 390 feet over the right-field wall and put the D-backs up 8-5.
-In the ninth, now down three runs, Pete Alonso flew out on the first pitch, J.D. Martinez struck out, and a pinch-hitting Jesse Winker grounded out to end the game.
-Wednesday was Severino’s first game pitching in Arizona and it was a tough one for the veteran right-hander. His control was a little out of whack and he just didn’t have his good fastball as the Diamondbacks scored four runs in the first four innings.
Old friend Luis Guillorme got the D-backs on the board with an RBI slap single through the hole with two outs in the second, but it was the third inning that got Sevy in trouble. After taking a ground ball off the inside of his push-off foot for the first out, after which the trainers took a look at Severino and everyone decided he was good to continue, he allowed a single and then a two-run shot to Joc Pederson as Arizona went up 3-0.
Carroll launched a solo homer in the fourth, but Severino gutted through 4.2 innings and was an out away from getting to five but a two-out double by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. forced Carlos Mendoza‘s hand. Brazoban got the final out of the inning to close the book on Severino’s night.
Severino pitched 4.2 innings (100 pitches/68 strikes), allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out nine.
-D-backs starter Eduardo Rodriguez was perfect through four innings, attacking the zone and getting the Mets to hit for soft contact, but New York would break through in the fifth. After a Brandon Nimmo leadoff walk, Martinez hit a booming RBI double off the right-center field wall to score the Mets’ first run. The double went 412 feet and would have been a home run in 24 parks, including Citi Field. After moving to third on a long fly ball, Francisco Alvarez plated Martinez with an RBI single up the middle to cut Arizona’s lead in half. Harrison Bader then hit a 423-foot bomb on a 90 mph cutter over the plate to tie the game.
-The Mets would take the lead in the sixth thanks to Starling Marte. A leadoff bunt single and a stolen base put him in scoring position before he was moved over to third by Nimmo’s grounder. Alonso hit a shallow fly ball to right field and Marte tested Gurriel’s arm. The outfielder had Marte dead to rights, but young catcher Adrian Del Castillo didn’t get the tag down after the ball got there ahead of Marte, with the veteran sliding around the tag to put the Mets up 5-4.
Game MVP: Corbin Carroll
Carroll’s two home runs accounted for five of Arizona’s eight runs.
Highlights
What’s next
The Mets and Diamondbacks complete their three-game series on Thursday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3:40 p.m.
David Peterson (2.85 ERA) will take the mound against Ryne Nelson (4.29 ERA).
