PHOENIX — There were plenty of fireworks for the Mets on the fourth of July and in the end, there was plenty to celebrate. The Mets opened a six-game road trip by defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-5, Tuesday at Chase Field, marking the first time in over a month the Mets have won three straight and only the fifth time this season the Amazins’ have won at least three in a row (longest winning streak is five games).
There were six homers hit between the Mets (39-46) and Diamondbacks (50-36), but it was Francisco Alvarez who slugged the most impactful one. With one on and one out and the game tied 4-4 in the seventh, Alvarez battled right-hander Miguel Castro (4-3) for seven pitches. The catcher then sent the last one onto the concourse in left-center field for the go-ahead shot to give the Mets a 6-4 lead.
Starling Marte had a two-run blast in the fourth inning off right-hander Zach Davies that gave the Mets a 3-1 lead. Brandon Nimmo hit one in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie.
Three were given up by Max Scherzer, who went six innings and gave up four earned runs on five hits in the win (8-2). Scherzer settled down after giving up a first-inning home run to Corbin Carroll that put the Diamondbacks up 1-0 but then gave up back-to-back long balls to Christian Walker and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with two outs in the fourth. Those two runs tied the game at 3-3.
Nimmo put the Mets back on top with his in the fifth. However, the lead was short-lived. In the bottom of the inning, the Mets started to spiral with two outs. The Diamondbacks scored one using two infield singles and two walks in a 28-pitch inning for Scherzer.
Alek Thomas, Arizona’s No. 9 hitter, chopped one to Jeff McNeil at second base, but he bobbled the ball and was unable to make a play. Thomas was awarded a single, though that scoring was questionable. Thomas stole second, Scherzer then walked Geraldo Perdomo and Jake McCarthy legged out a grounder to load the bases.
Carroll made Scherzer work. The veteran right-hander threw eight pitches and walked Carroll, one of the best hitters in the National League, to score a run.
But he struck out Walker to get out of the inning and strand the bases loaded. It was a huge out, but the next three he got in the sixth were arguably more important. Scherzer retired the side in order in the sixth to help lighten the load on the bullpen. Raley and Adam Ottavino shut the D-backs down with relative ease before Drew Smith put two on with two out in the ninth. David Robertson also walked in an inherited runner but secured his 12th save of the season. Francisco Lindor made a fantastic stop on a ground ball and a flip to McNeil to end the game.
It was the rare game where the Mets were able to overcome their own mistakes. It wasn’t easy but it was an improvement over the last month of play.
