Mets Beat Diamondbacks 4-2 to sweep series after bullpen continues to shine

Mets RF Michael Conforto (Credits to Wendall Cruz-USA Tody Sports) The New York Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 this afternoon to sweep three-game series for their fifth consecutive win and improved their record 16-13. The offense was scoreless for the first two innings until the bottom of the third inning after catcher James McCann led off with a single and RHP Jacob deGrom followed with a perfectly executed bunt single which allowed McCann to advance to third. 2B Jeff McNeil then hit a slow grounder back to Diamondbacks starter RHP Riley Smith and DeGrom moved up to second. SS Francisco Lindor then drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly scoring McCann and then RF Michael Conforto followed with a RBI single. In the bottom of the sixth, 1B Pete Alonso led off with a walk, LF Dom Smith followed with a hit by a pitch and then 3B Jonathan Villar walked to load the bases with one out. McCann struck out, but pinch-hitter Patrick Mazieka walked which brought in Alonso. In the bottom of the seventh, Lindor reached on an error by Diamondbacks third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera and then Conforto singled and Smith hit a RBI single which scored Lindor. RHP Jacob deGrom cruised through the first four innings retiring the first 12 hitters he faced, but ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. DeGrom walked LF David Peralta to lead off the fifth, gave up a double to catcher Stephen Vogt and walked 3B Eduardo Escobar to load the bases. DeGrom was able to recover and SS Nick Ahmed to ground into a double play which brought home only run, but then walked CF Daulton Varsho and then struck out pinch-hitter Christian Walker to end the inning. He came out for the top of the sixth inning and after two warm-up pitches he met with manager Luis Rojas, pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and trainer Brian Chicklo and was then taken out of the game. His final line was 5 innings, one hit, one run, three walks and six strikeouts. He picked up his third win. Rojas said after the game that deGrom has tightness in his lower back rather than the lat injury he previously had and will sent for an MRI. RHP Miguel Castro had to come in and got into trouble after he hit 1B Pavin Smith and then walked RF Josh Rojas, but was able to recover after he retired the next three hitters on fly outs. RHP Jacob Barnes followed with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh. Barnes stayed in for the top of the eighth and gave up a lead-off solo homer to Cabrera and after retiring Smith on a fly-out after 16 pitches, he gave up a double to Josh Rojas and was then taken out. RHP Edwin Diaz came on and hit 2B Josh VanMeter, but then LF David Peralta to ground into a double play which ended the inning. Diaz stayed in for the top of the ninth and had two straight strikeouts, and then SS Nick Amed reached base after a pop-up fell between Villar, Diaz and McCann. Diaz was able to strike out Varsho to end the inning and picked up his fifth save. The Mets are off tomorrow and return to action on Tuesday, May 11th at home against the Baltimore Orioles at 7:10 p.m.