The New York Mets have added another blown save opportunity to the list in a crushing 5-4 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This is now the Mets 6th loss when leading after 8 innings since May 1st. No other team in Major League Baseball has more than two.
With two lefties due up in the top of the 9th inning Carlos Mendoza decided to put in Jake Diekman to record the save. However today’s Met killer, Ketel Marte, hit a go-ahead two run home run in the top of the 9th off a hanging breaking ball. Marte started the game with a lead off home run off of Jose Quintana and finished the day with three hits and three runs batted in.
Quintana to simply put it did not have his stuff today. The first two batters of the game went back to back to get out to a quick 2-0 lead and the very next inning gave up a lead off walk and a double from Blaze Alexander to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Quintana got the next batter Kevin Newman to ground out but a run scored to extend the lead to 3-0. He was able to limit the damage by only allowing one run come across in the second, but a quick three run lead from the Diamondbacks caused Quintana to only pitch 4 innings.
Jose Quintana Final Line:
4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 K
The Mets were able to mound a comeback in the bottom of the 3rd to take a 4-3 lead. Pete Alonso hit an RBI single to get the early rally going that scored Tyrone Taylor. Brandon Nimmo would come up to the plate next and rip a triple to center field that scored Luis Torrens and Pete Alonso to tie the game. The very next at bat JD Martinez did something that you do not see every day. Another triple from Martinez would give the Mets a one run lead, that is right back to back triples but the Mets offense would be held to 4 runs the rest of the game from a stellar performance from the Diamondbacks bullpen.
The Mets and Diamondbacks bullpen would combine for 16 strikeouts, but a massive mistake from Jake Diekman caused the Mets their first series win at home since April 17th. The Mets are now 24-35 and are five games back from the final wild card spot in the National League. They will travel down to the Nations Capital and face the Washington Nationals in a three game series starting tomorrow night at 6:45 PM on SNY.