The Arizona Diamondbacks lost 5-3 to the New York Mets in 13 innings on Wednesday night.  The Diamondbacks rallied late in the ninth inning and tied the game when third baseman Mark Reynolds hit a three run homer of Mets’ closer Billy Wagner.  However, the Mets would prevail in this one. 

The Diamondbacks had Brandon Webb on the mound.  Webb gave up three runs, all coming in the fourth inning.  He left the game after going 5 innings, giving up 5 hits, three earned runs and four strikeouts.  Webb was hit in the hip by a ball off the bat of Carlos Delgado in the midst of the fourth inning.  He pitched a scoreless fifth, but was removed for a pinch hitter in the top of the 6th.

Mets starter Mike Pelfrey had the best start of his young career last night, he held the Diamondbacks’ scoreless in his 8+ innings of works, recording eight strikeouts.  However, he did give up a lead off single to Stephen Drew, at the juncture, Pelfrey left the game and it was the Diamondback’s lucky day.  Billy Wagner came in and tried to close the game out for the Mets.  Orlando Hudson was the first batter he faced, he got him to strike out swinging, Connor Jackson hit a double to centerfield and Drew advanced to third.  Mark Reynolds fell behind in the count when Wagner blew two fastballs by him but, he fouled off the third fastball, then took the slider in the dirt-which appeared to have hit his foot, but after some discussion they home plate umpire did not call it, it looked like the Mets caught a break, however on the next pitch Wagner left a fastball  out over the plate and Reynolds hit it over the fence in left center field to tie the game at three and send it to extra innings. 

With the game tied at three and Edgar Gonzales pithing his second inning in relief, with one out, Luis Castillo reached base on a fielding error by Mark Reynolds.  Gonzales was able to retire David Wright on a popout to first baseman Chad Tracy.  So, with two out Carlos Beltran came to bat and after fouling off two pitches hit a two run walk off homer to win the game for the Mets 5-3.   

The Diamondbacks will have Dan Harren on the mound, and the Mets will counter with   Johan Santana in the rubber game of the series, first pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.  The Diamondbacks will return home to start their interleague series with the Kansas City Royals. 

Diamondbacks Blog

Post info: By Bernalda on June 12th, 2008
Comments: Be the First to Comment »
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Diamondbacks traveled to Shea Stadium on Tuesday to take on the New  York Mets.  While the Diamondbacks are currently in first place in the NL West, they are not a great road team compiling a 13-18 road record this season.  When the Diamondbacks last saw the Mets they had a 20-8, the lost 2-3 to the Mets and since then are 14-22.  After a fast start, the Diamondbacks as a team are hitting .251 and are struggling to consistently put runs on the board; they still hold first place in the NL West as everyone else in division is playing .500 baseball.  However, the best thing to happen to the Diamondbacks’ offense was Mets pitching.  The Diamondbacks as a team had four homeruns in their 9-5 win over the Mets.  

Micha Owings started the game for the Diamondbacks.  In his last outing Owings was rocked for four earned runs off eight hits before leaving the game after three innings.  Owings has had two starts against the Mets and has a 0-1 record with a 6.94 era in those two games and didn’t fare much better in Tuesday night’s start.  In 41/3 innings he gave up 5 runs, four earned, on 8 hits with three walks and two strikeouts.  Owings who averages 2.6 walks per nine innings had give up two walks in the first inning of the game.  He was not sharp and lucky for him, neither were any of Mets pitchers.   

The Diamondbacks scored a run in the top of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead.  John Maine gave up a long home run to Orlando Hudson in the top of the fifth to cut the Mets lead 5-3.   In the sixth inning with Mets reliever Claudio Vargas on the mound, the Diamondback’s would score two runs and tie the game.   Vargas walked the lead off man before hitting  Justin Upton with a pitch, Jeff Salazar’s ground out allowed the runners to advance to second and third, with the tying runs on, Augie Ojeda drove them in when he hit a line drive that eluded the glove of Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado and landed in right field.  Ojeda would advance to second on the throw by Endy Chavez, but was stranded there when Chris Young flied out to end the inning. 

In the top of the seventh, with weather reports showing that rain was near and with the wind picking up at Shea Stadium, the Umps suspended play and the Mets grounds crew secured the tarp on the field.  The rain delay would last one hour.  When play resumed, the Diamondbacks took the lead on a homerun by Chris Snyder off Met’s reliever Joe Smith.  In the top of the ninth inning the Diamondbacks scored three more runs when Duaner Sanchez gave up a two run homer to Stephen Drew and a solo shot to Conner Jackson.   

The Diamondbacks will have Brandon Webb on the mound tonight, and he will be opposed by Mets starter Mike Pelfrey.  Game time is set for 7:10 p.m.

Diamondbacks Blog

Post info: By Bernalda on June 11th, 2008
Comments: Be the First to Comment »
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------