PHOENIX — While the Mets’ playoff atmosphere in their final four games in San Diego hasn’t been as pronounced, the quality of the opponents has been similar, and the same was true of the opening day result.
Ultimately, the results of the next two days of this series will be decisive, but the Mets have performed well in their opening games on this road trip.
On Tuesday night, they participated with the entire team in an 8-3 victory over the Diamondbacks, which ended Arizona’s six-game winning streak in front of 22,575 spectators at Chase Field.
The Mets (69-63) are nearing the point where a gap greater than their three-game deficit to Atlanta for third place could put them behind in the NL wild card race.
The Braves had already won that night and were only raising the stakes.
But the Mets made their breakthrough in the fifth inning and gave Sean Manaea, who pitched strongly into the seventh inning, a sufficient lead.
Pete Alonso hit a home run, but the beauty of this Mets performance was the way they strung together hits in a fifth inning that didn’t end until twelve batters were at the plate.
The Mets, who have a 3-2 record on the road, won the first game against the Padres last Thursday but were unable to convert their success into a series victory, suffering a loss, a win and a loss over the next three days.
The Mets will look to win at least one of their next two games before facing the awful White Sox.
Manaea brought the Mets into the seventh inning with a shutout.
Before he was eliminated with two outs in the inning, he conceded three earned runs.
Two of them were thrown by Corbin Carroll, who cleared the fence in left field.
There were shaky moments in the final two innings, but the Mets were able to save themselves with a shutout from Reed Garrett, Phil Maton, Danny Young and Adam Ottavino.
Alonso’s home run in the second gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The hit was the 220th of Alonso’s career, putting him in third place with Mike Piazza on the Mets’ all-time list.
Alonso’s home run was his 28th of the season, putting him ahead of Francisco Lindor for the team’s lead.
The Mets scored an unearned run later in the inning against Brandon Pfaadt.
JD Martinez worked a walk and Kevin Newman’s error – he missed Pfaadt’s throw on Tyrone Taylor’s comebacker – put runners on the corners.
Jeff McNeil’s RBI fielder’s choice extended the Mets’ lead to 2-0.
Josh Bell’s single to lead off the second inning was Arizona’s only hit against Manaea until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered to lead off the seventh inning.
In the fourth inning, Bell hit Francisco Alvarez’s right wrist while batting, which resulted in the catcher being obstructed.
Alvarez was visibly in pain, but remained in the game after a visit from the coach.
In the next inning, Alvarez hit an RBI single that put the D’backs behind 3-0. McNeil’s double started the comeback.
But the Mets were far from finished in this inning.
the Mets’ victory on August 27, 2024. Getty Images
When the period ended, the Mets had scored six goals and were leading 8-0.
It was an inning in which the Mets sent 12 batters to the plate and struck out Pfaadt, who was replaced by Jordan Montgomery.
Mark Vientos hit an RBI single in that inning, and after Brandon Nimmo loaded the bases with a single, Alonso struck out.
Jesse Winker’s sacrifice fly gave the Mets a 5-0 lead and Martinez’s single loaded the bases.
Montgomery came in and threw Taylor on the back foot to force a run before McNeil scored another.
Alvarez scored the last run of the inning on a fielding error by Geraldo Perdomo.
