The New York Mets (28-31) were defeated by the Arizona Diamondbacks (30-30) by a score of 7-1 Sunday afternoon at Chase Field. D-Backs starter Merrill Kelly was dominant, allowing only one run and striking out 10 in 7.2 innings.

Hitting

Amed Rosario got the game started with a base hit against Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly, but it wouldn’t amount to anything as a fly out, force out, and another fly out would end the inning.

The second inning started off with another hit, but this one sailed over the fence as Wilson Ramos tallied his sixth home run of the season.

After Steven Matz struck out to start off the third inning, Amed Rosario notched another base hit. A passed ball moved him to second but the Mets were unable to bring him the rest of the way around.

Wilson Ramos hit a one-out single in the fourth inning to bring Carlos Gomez to the plate. With the slow runner on first, the DBacks shifted three of their infielders to the left side of the infield. With the entire right side open, Gomez tried to do what we’ve seen done successfully recently – push a bunt towards the vacated hole. Unfortunately, he popped it up to the first baseman and the slow-footed Ramos was doubled off. Great idea, terrible execution.

Merrill Kelly carved up everybody but Amed Rosario (three singles) and Wilson Ramos (two hits including one home run) in his 7.2 innings of work. He allowed one earned run on six hits while walking none and striking out ten. He lowered his season ERA to 4.41.

Down 7-1 in the top of the ninth, the Mets went down without a whimper. Rosario, Ramos, and Steven Matz were the only Mets with hits.

Pitching

Steven Matz started for the Mets and was absolutely ambushed by the Diamondbacks. Ketel Marte greeted him by demolishing a 482-foot home run, the longest ever hit by a Diamondback in the Statcast era. It is also tied with Nomar Mazara (Texas Rangers) for the longest in 2019.

Tim Locastro followed that up with a base hit before Eduardo Escobar hit his 15th home run of the season, giving the Diamondbacks a three-run lead before Matz was able to record an out.

Matz did not allow another hit until the 4th inning when Ildemaro Vargas grounded a ball past a sliding J.D. Davis for a one-out double. That was all he’d allow that inning as after the early home runs, Matz settled in well…

… For a while. After getting two quick outs in the fifth, Escobar singled before Adam Jones hit a hard ground ball off Amed Rosario’s glove (a play he arguably should have made). With runners on first and second, Christian Walker singled to left field, scoring Escobar from second. Now with runners on first and third, Ildemaro Vargas knocked a single of his own, the fourth two-out hit of the inning, to give the Diamondbacks a 5-1 lead.

Matz ended up six innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks (one intentional), striking out five. His season ERA sits just below four at 3.97.

Wilmer Font pitched a scoreless seventh inning despite two fly balls to the warning track.

Hector Santiago ran into trouble in the eighth inning, as the inning started with a double and a walk. Nick Ahmed popped up to Pete Alonso for the first out. Carson Kelly flew out to shallow center field for the second out, but with Kevin Cron coming up, Tyler Bashlor was brought for the favorable righty-righty matchup. Bashlor, who took the loss Saturday night, faced Cron in that game and allowed a double. Today, Cron drew a walk after falling behind in the count 1-2.

Ketel Marte came up with the bases loaded. After getting ahead in the count 1-2, Ramos set up for a fastball up out of the zone to put him away. Bashlor instead threw it right down the middle, and Marte socked a line drive base hit to right field to score two, making it 7-1 Diamondbacks. Tim Locastro, the former Ithaca College Bomber, grounded out to third to end the inning.

On Deck

The Mets have an off day on Monday (only four games are being played) as they travel home for a three-game set against the Giants. In a 2016 Wild Card Game rematch, Noah Syndergaard (3-4, 4.90 ERA) and the Mets will face off against Madison Bumgarner (3-5, 4.01 ERA) and the Giants. First pitch is at 7:10 EST.