New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Alonso homers, sparks Mets in win
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso hustled around the bases to spark the pivotal rally and later hit a two-run homer that helped the New York Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 on Sunday.
Pinchhitter J.D. Davis delivered an RBI single in a three-run sixth inning and five Mets pitchers combined on a fivehitter for New York’s third shutout in 10 games this season.
“We’ve been playing really good team baseball,” Alonso said. “Today is a great example of that. We had excellent pitching. We had high-quality team atbats, especially later in the game, and we got it done.”
Filling in for injured Taijuan Walker, left-hander David Peterson tossed 41⁄3 effective innings that left Mets starters with a 1.07 ERA overall — the lowest for any team after 10 games since earned runs became an official statistic in both leagues back in 1913.
Trevor Williams got two outs and Chasen Shreve (1-0) pitched two perfect innings to earn New York’s first win by a reliever this year. Drew Smith and Edwin Diaz worked an inning apiece to finish it.
Williams gave up the only two hits charged to the Mets’ bullpen, which entered with a 4.64 ERA.
New York took two of three from the shaky Diamondbacks and improved to 7-3, the club’s best 10game start since opening
9-1 in 2018. The Mets have won 12 of 13 home games against Arizona dating to August 2017.
New York broke a scoreless tie in the sixth with aggressive baserunning. With one out, Alonso went from first to third as Eduardo Escobar legged out a double to right off Noe Ramirez (0-1). Pavin Smith rushed a throw from the outfield that sailed high for an error, allowing the burly Alonso to score.
“That’s awesome,” Alonso said. “I think if we don’t press the issue there then we don’t score a run, because Eddie busting out of the box right after contact, and I think him hustling the whole way, I think that forces the defense to try and make a play and I feel like our aggression paid off on the basepaths.”
Davis singled home the second run against former Mets pitcher Oliver Perez, who was making his 700th career appearance, and Dominic Smith dashed home on a shallow sacrifice fly by James McCann.
Alonso connected off Matt Peacock in the seventh. All three of the slugger’s home runs and 11 of his 14 RBIs this season have come as a designated hitter.
“How about that 3-iron he hit?” manager Buck Showalter said. “He hit it through the wind.”
Arizona starter Humberto Castellanos allowed one hit over four innings, the first scoreless start of his career.
The punchless Diamondbacks were shut out for the second time. Arizona scored six runs in the series.
“There’s a couple of plays I think if we make and we execute and we do things differently, it’s a totally different game,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’ve got to tighten that type of stuff up.”
TOUGH WIND
At first pitch winds were announced at 24 mph, and they seemed to increase as the day went on. That led to trouble for Mets right fielder Starling Marte, who lost a pair of fly balls in the wind.
In the fourth, Carson Kelly’s fly ball sailed over Marte’s glove, resulting in a double. In the sixth, Christian Walker’s fly was pushed by the wind toward the foul line and the ball fell in front of Marte for a double.
“You can’t catch what you can’t see,” Showalter said. “The one down the line, he said he was just guessing where it was going to drop.“
SHEA ANNIVERSARY
Sunday marked the 58th anniversary of the first game played at Shea Stadium, which closed after the 2008 season.
Perez, who made 94 appearances with the Mets, started the final home opener at Shea against Philadelphia and the final game there against the Marlins on Sept. 28, 2008.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Peacock was recalled from the taxi squad and LHP Caleb Smith was optioned to Triple-A Reno.
Mets: Walker (right shoulder bursitis) threw a bullpen and will likely start a rehab assignment this week at extended spring training in Florida.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-0, 2.25 ERA) opposes Nationals RHP Josiah Gray (1-1, 4.00) on Monday in Washington.
Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (2-0, 0.00) opens a fourgame series Monday against San Francisco RHP Alex Cobb (1-0, 3.60). Megill has yet to allow a run or a walk in 101⁄3 innings this season. He has 11 strikeouts.