Mets Edge Diamondbacks in 10 Innings on Mauricio’s Walk-Off Single
NEW YORK (Interstat) — Ronny Mauricio’s sharp line drive into right field in the bottom of the 10th inning scored Francisco Lindor from third base, lifting the New York Mets to a 4-3 comeback victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday afternoon at Citi Field.
A crowd of 34,753 watched the Mets (7-4) erase a two-run deficit late, tie the game in the eighth and walk it off in the extra frame against Arizona reliever Paul Sewald. The loss dropped the Diamondbacks to 5-6.
The decisive sequence began with the automatic runner, Lindor, placed on second base to start the inning. After Bo Bichette grounded out to move Lindor to third, Mauricio, pinch-hitting, delivered the game-winning single off Sewald on a 1-1 pitch, sending a liner past a drawn-in infield and in front of right fielder Corbin Carroll.
The rally made a winner of Luke Weaver (1-0), who pitched a perfect top of the 10th, striking out one. Sewald (0-2) took the loss, failing to record an out in the final inning.
The game’s most critical juncture came in the bottom of the eighth, with the Mets trailing 3-2. Arizona’s bullpen, which had been stellar in relief of starter Zac Gallen, finally cracked. Kevin Ginkel, who had worked a scoreless seventh, gave up a leadoff single to Jorge Polanco. After a strikeout, Brett Baty singled to center, putting runners at the corners. Jared Young then lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field, scoring pinch-runner Tyrone Taylor to knot the game at 3-3. The Mets bullpen then slammed the door, with Brooks Raley and Devin Williams navigating threats in the eighth and ninth before Weaver’s clean 10th.
The Diamondbacks had seized their only lead with a three-run outburst in the fifth against Mets starter Freddy Peralta. After two quick outs, Corbin Carroll sparked the rally with a single. A walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Adrian Del Castillo, who lined a two-run single to right. Nolan Arenado followed with an RBI double to center, plating Gabriel Moreno to give Arizona a 3-2 advantage.
That lead was built on the foundation of Gallen’s strong start. The Arizona ace allowed two early runs but settled in, finishing with five innings of five-hit ball, yielding one earned run while striking out five. The Mets struck first in the opening inning on a sacrifice fly by Baty, scoring Lindor. They added a run in the second when Lindor doubled home Francisco Alvarez, with an error on the play by Carroll allowing Lindor to take third.
Peralta was effective but inefficient for New York, charged with three runs on three hits over 4 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out five. The Mets’ relief corps of Luis García, Raley, Williams, Huascar Brazobán and Weaver combined for 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, scattering six hits.
Arizona’s bullpen, featuring Juan Morillo, Ryan Thompson and Ginkel, had preserved the one-run lead from the fifth through the seventh before the Mets’ eighth-inning equalizer. The Diamondbacks squandered a prime opportunity in the ninth, putting two on with one out against Williams, but the Mets’ closer struck out Del Castillo to end the threat.
The game lasted 3 hours, 8 minutes. Arizona out-hit New York 9-8 but went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.
The victory extended the Mets’ winning streak to three games following a successful series in San Francisco. The Diamondbacks saw a two-game win streak snapped and have now lost four of their last six.
The teams continue their three-game series Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field.