PHOENIX — You could say the Mets charmed the Snakes this week in Phoenix, but the Arizona Diamondbacks probably found nothing charming about getting swept.
The Mets hammered the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks in the series finale, winning 9-0. Francisco Alvarez hit his third home run in as many games, Francisco Lindor had a five-hit game, Pete Alonso went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI and Carlos Carrasco went eight shutout innings to help the Mets (41-46) win their fifth straight. It marked the second time this season the Mets have won five consecutive games but the first time since April. They remain undefeated in the month of July (5-0).
After months of vowing to show improved play, the Mets are making good on that promise, and they intend to keep doing so.
“We’ll celebrate it, learn from it and turn the page,” Lindor said. “We’ll come back and be better tomorrow.”
Lindor became the second player in franchise history to hit two triples and a home run in the same game, with Joe Christopher doing so on Aug. 18, 1964. He went 5-for-5 coming a double away from the cycle just two nights night after a bout with what the club thought was either food poisoning or a stomach bug. Lindor was so sick Tuesday night he had to receive IV fluids and the Mets waited until the last possible moment to put out Wednesday’s lineup to make sure he was able to play.
“I take a lot of pride in posting up,” Lindor said.
Whatever ailed him cleared up by the time he went to the plate for his first at-bat against right-hander Ryne Nelson. Batting from the left side, the switch-hitting Lindor got a fastball over the middle of the plate and pulled it down the line. Alonso then took a fastball high and inside and hit it into the Arizona bullpen to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the first.
Carrasco (3-3) had a stellar outing, allowing only three hits and one walk while striking out four.
“The key to the whole game was Carlos,” said manager Buck Showalter. “He’s a hungry pitcher trying to get back to what he has done for us in the past.”
He utilized his new slider grip to fool hitters and it worked. He was able to throw it anywhere in the count and got hitters to roll over it for weak grounders.
“I was looking for something a little bit bigger so I can use my sinker too,” Carrasco said. “That’s what I found with it.”
The Mets beat up Nelson (5-5). They jumped on him in the third, scoring five to end his night.
Lindor hit his second triple and Alonso, who came into the game marred in a two-week-long slump that saw him hit just .148 (9-for-61) over his last 16 games, drove him home with a base hit. Daniel Vogelbach doubled home Alonso. With two outs, Jeff McNeil doubled home Vogelbach. Then came Alvarez, still riding high from hitting a game-tying home run off Arizona closer Andrew Chafin one night prior. Nelson hung a slider and Alvarez hit over the fence to make it 7-0.
Alvarez continued his monster week at the plate with a single in the fifth to give him three RBI on the day.
But the Diamondbacks might have taken some offense to some of his theatrics. Jose Ruiz drilled him with a 97 mph fastball in the top of the sixth and the 21-year-old rookie had to be held back by home plate umpire Tripp Gibson as he walked to first base. The dugouts were warned but it didn’t matter. The benches cleared. The bullpens emptied. No one did anything more than exchange some words and knowing glances.
The Mets did not think it was intentional.
“If they did it on purpose, if they did it to make me feel bad, what they should do is strike me out there,” Alvarez said through a translator.
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Source: Berkshire mont
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