*Photo from Yahoo Sports*
Playing spoiler at the end of the year can be fun. Pete Alonso drove in a pair of runs, Ronny Mauricio homered, and the New York Mets defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 7-4 victory on Tuesday night in Queens.
With the D-Backs up just 1 1/2 games on the last NL wild card spot, they were dealt a tough loss in the middle game of 4 against the Mets. Mauricio provided the fireworks for the Mets, cranking his first major league home run in the contest.
Mauricio said of his home run after the game that "When you square up a ball like that, you know that it’s going to go far. When you feel it off the bat, you just know that you put some good wood on it."
Ketel Marte gave the D-Backs a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning with an RBI triple that scored Geraldo Perdomo. Francisco Lindor tied it with a sac fly before Mauricio's loud and hard hit two run home run in the 4th, making it 3-1 Mets. In the 5th, Lindor hit an RBI single and Alonso a two run home run to make it a 6-1 Mets lead.
Mets manager Buck Showalter said of Mauricio's hard contact "That’s what everybody’s chasing, because the harder you hit it, the less time they have to react to defend it. That’s the simple part of it. And if you get some air under it, it goes out there where the grass doesn’t grow."
Lourdes Gurriel got the D-Backs back in the game in the 6th with an RBI single, making it 6-2. In the 8th, Alek Thomas scored on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded and Gurriel Jr scored on a bases loaded walk, cutting the deficit to 6-4. In the bottom of the 8th, Francisco Alvarez gave the Mets an insurance run, making it 7-4 with a solo home run.
Jose Butto got the start for the Mets, allowing a run on two hits and 3 walks in 5 innings. Grant Hartwig allowed a run in the 6th before Phil Bickford pitched a scoreless 7th. Sam Coonrod allowed two runs in the 8th before Adam Ottavino picked up a 5 out save to seal the win.
Ryne Nelson allowed 6 runs on 7 hits and two walks, pitching 4 1/3 innings. Joe Mantiply pitched one inning before Miguel Castro pitched 2/3 of an inning. Scott McGough allowed a run over two innings pitched.
Nelson said of his start that "I felt pretty good through three, and then some pitches I wish I could take back. There was not good enough execution on a couple of them. If I execute a couple of sliders earlier in those at-bats, the fastball plays a little better. I think it was a couple of predictable fastballs."
Up next, game 3 of the series is on Wednesday night. Both teams will try to take the lead in the series, with Joey Lucchesi getting the start for the Mets against D-Backs ace Zac Gallen.
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