Tommy Pham, Diamondbacks rally late to edge Mets
NEW YORK -- Tommy Pham hit a tying home run in the eighth inning to finish a triple short of the cycle in his return to Citi Field, Ketel Marte had a go-ahead double in the ninth and the Arizona Diamondbacks rallied to beat the Mets 4-3 on Monday night for just their fourth win in 20 games against New York.
Pham, dealt by the Mets in their trade-deadline purge of veterans, doubled to start a two-run fourth against José Quintana and singled in the fifth. He greeted Trevor Gott by driving a slider to the opposite field in right-center for his 16th home run this season, sixth with the Diamondbacks.
In addition to going 3 for 5 at the plate, Pham threw out Jeff McNeil at second trying to stretch a single to right.
Pinch-hitter Alek Thomas singled with one out in the ninth off Drew Smith (4-6), and Marte fisted an opposite-field double down the left-field line. When the ball ricocheted off the left-field wall in the corner and bounced out of McNeil's glove, the speedy Thomas scored standing up.
Kevin Ginkel (8-0) struck out two in a perfect eighth, and former Mets reliever Paul Sewald got his 33rd save in 38 chances this season -- his 12th in 14 opportunities since the Diamondbacks acquired him from Seattle.
New York rookie Ronny Mauricio walked leading off the ninth, advanced on Brett Baty's sacrifice and stole third. Pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach took a called third strike and Omar Narváez walked. After Arizona failed to hold pinch-runner Tim Locastro and allowed him to steal second, Brandon Nimmo flied out.
New York (65-78) matched its season low of 13 games under .500.
In a game that started 1 hour, 12 minutes late because of rain, Mauricio's two-run double off Zach Davies put the Mets ahead 3-2 in a three-run fourth that included McNeil's eighth homer.
Seeking its first postseason appearance since 2017, Arizona (76-69) opened a 1 1/2-game lead for the last NL wild card. The Diamondbacks were swept by the Mets in Phoenix during a three-game series in July.
Evan Longoria had an RBI single and Emmanuel Rivera a sacrifice fly as Arizona took a 2-0 lead in the fourth.
On the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorists attacks, the Mets wore caps of the New York Police Department, the Fire Department of New York, the Port Authority Police Department, Department of Sanitation and Department of Correction.
A video tribute was shown during a pregame ceremony of remembrance. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor wore a specially designed glove and first baseman Pete Alonso special tribute spikes.
9/11 REMEMBERED
Former Mets catcher Mike Piazza was on hand for the game. His two-run, eighth-inning homer put New York ahead in a 3-2 win over Atlanta on Sept. 21, 2021, the first big league game played in New York after the attacks.
"I just kind of was thinking today that there should be some sort of national remembrance," Piazza said during a pregame news conference. "I don't know about holidays today because it seems like people work at home and things like that, but maybe from a federal level, there could be some incentive to try to crystallize it."
NOT WAITING
McNeil has hit 23 of 54 career homers on the first pitch.
FAST START
C Seby Zavala had his second straight 2-for-3 game for Arizona after hitting .155 in 66 games for the Chicago White Sox.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Marte (bruised right knee) and Jordan Lawlar (right knuckle) were back in the starting lineup after missing Sunday's game. ... C Gabriel Moreno was in Orlando, Florida, for the birth of a child and was put on the paternity list. He will return to the team by Thursday. C José Herrera was recalled from Triple-A Reno.
Mets: C Francisco Álvarez didn't play, a day after he was hit on the outside of his right hand by a pitch.
UP NEXT
Arizona RHP Ryne Nelson (7-7, 5.30 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night against Mets RHP José Butto (0-2 3.86) in a matchup of rookies.
