NEW YORK (Interstat) — Ryne Nelson delivered a commanding performance on the mound and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offense struck early and late to secure a 7-2 victory over the New York Mets on Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field, splitting the brief two-game series.

A crowd of 33,422 watched as the Diamondbacks (6-6) quickly erased the memory of a one-run loss the previous afternoon, building a five-run lead by the second inning and never looking back against the Mets (7-5).

The most important part of the game was Arizona’s immediate and decisive response in the top of the second inning. After scratching across a single run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Gabriel Moreno, the Diamondbacks sent nine men to the plate in the second, exploding for four runs to seize control. The rally was ignited by consecutive singles from Ildemaro Vargas and Jose Fernandez, a sacrifice bunt, and a walk to load the bases. Ketel Marte then lined a single to right to score Vargas. The key blow came from Corbin Carroll, who laced a two-run double to the gap in left-center, clearing the bases. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a sacrifice fly to cap the outburst, staking Arizona to a 5-0 lead and chasing Mets starter David Peterson early.

That cushion was more than enough for Nelson (1-1), who turned in his best start of the young season. The right-hander, coming off two difficult outings where he allowed six earned runs over 9 1/3 innings, was in complete command. He worked 5 2/3 strong innings, allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out five and walking none. He efficiently navigated the Mets lineup, facing minimal trouble until the sixth.

Nelson’s effort was a stark contrast to Peterson’s (0-2) evening. The Mets left-hander was charged with five earned runs on six hits over five innings, taking the loss. He struck out six but was consistently behind in counts and punished for mistakes in the strike zone.

Arizona added crucial insurance in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. With the score 5-1, Vargas and Fernandez again sparked the rally with back-to-back singles. After a walk loaded the bases, Jorge Barrosa delivered a pivotal two-run double to center field, extending the lead to 7-1.

The Mets, who had been installed as pregame favorites with a 55.4% win probability according to Interstat’s ELO system, managed only a run in the sixth and another in the eighth. In the sixth, Bo Bichette and Luis Robert Jr. singled, and Brett Baty followed with an RBI single to center for New York’s first run. In the eighth, Robert Jr. singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mark Vientos after a double from Baty.

The Mets’ offense, however, could not sustain any momentum, stranding runners and hitting into two double plays, including a game-ending 5-4-3 twin killing in the ninth. They finished with eight hits but went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

Carroll led Arizona’s 11-hit attack, going 3 for 5 with a double, a triple, and two RBIs. Barrosa’s two-run double was his only hit but proved decisive, while Vargas contributed three hits and scored twice.

For the Mets, Baty collected two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. Bichette also had two hits and scored a run.

The Arizona bullpen, after Nelson’s departure, sealed the win. Andrew Hoffmann allowed one run over two innings of work, and Taylor Clarke and Ryan Thompson combined for 1 1/3 scoreless frames to close it out.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 6-5 Mets victory. The combined nine total runs went under the posted over/under line of 7.5.

With the series tied, the teams meet for the rubber game on Thursday afternoon at Citi Field before both embark on road trips. Arizona heads to Philadelphia to begin a four-game set with the Phillies, while New York will host the Athletics for three games starting Friday.