PHOENIX — If the New York Mets defy the odds and manage to turn around their season, remember this game as the one that saved it.
With the Mets down to their final out and trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 at Chase Field, Francisco Alvarez took a full-count sinker from closer Andrew Chafin (2-2) and drove it the other way for a game-tying home run. The rookie catcher was absolutely elated, tossing his bat when he saw the ball go over the head of right fielder Jake McCarthy and leaping in the air, flexing his biceps to his team's dugout as he rounded first base.
The game was tied. Brett Baty continued the rally with a single and Mark Canha tripled off the center field wall to drive in the go-ahead run and give the Mets a 2-1 win. It was their fourth in a row, putting them one win away from matching their longest winning streak of the season.
After doing absolutely nothing against left-hander Tommy Henry and two other relievers, the Mets (40-46) finally broke through before it was too late. It came after a sensational outing by Kodai Senga (7-5), who threw six scoreless innings before surrendering a leadoff home run to cleanup hitter Christian Walker in the seventh. He went eight strong, tossing a career-high eight innings and striking out 12 to tie his career-high mark. He became the first rookie pitcher in franchise history to record multiple starts with one or more strikeouts since Dwight Gooden in 1984.
Until the seventh, the Snakes (50-37) were only able to manage two bloop singles and a ball that hit off Jeff McNeil’s glove at second base. They swiped two bags trying to get something going on the basepaths, but after Christian Walker stole second with two outs in the fourth he struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Jake McCarthy hit one off McNeil’s glove to lead off the fifth and stole second, but Senga struck out the next two and got Alek Thomas to pop one up to center field.
Even after the home run, Senga was able to finish strong, retiring the rest of the side in order and pitching a quick eighth.
It was his second-best performance of the season and only the second time he went seven or more on the road.
The pitch to Walker was the only mistake. He left a cutter hanging and Walker nearly hit it all the way to Mexico, blasting it 434 feet into the left-field stands. It was only three feet shy of being the longest home run of the season, which was hit by Alvarez one day prior.
Henry flummoxed the Mets for six innings. He gave them chances with four walks, but the Mets managed only two hits against him. Kyle Nelson and Scott McGough kept them scoreless.
David Robertson recorded his 13th save of the season with a scoreless ninth. It was almost as if the Mets of old ceased to exist and a new team, one more adept at timely hitting and relief pitching, took its place.
———
