The New York Mets (52-51) dropped the series opener to the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9-6 at Citi Field. The D-Backs are 4-11 in their last 15 games, all four wins coming against the Mets.
The Mets are 32-18 at Citi Field and 0-39 when they trail after eight innings.
The Atlanta Braves defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 in 10 innings, extending their National League Eastern Division lead to 7 1/2 games ahead of the Mets and 3 1/2 games in front of the Philadelphia Phillies, who lost 8-1 to the Washington Nationals. Roy Oswalt made his first start as a Phillie, pitching six innings, allowing five runs and seven hits and was tagged with the loss.
Arizona Diamondbacks @ New York Mets … recap and boxscore
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Post Game Notes:
Mike Pelfrey (10-5, 4.10) struggled again, pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs (four earned runs), eight hits, four strike outs and two walks (118 pitches/71 strikes).
Raul Valdes (2-3, 4.85) relieved Pelfrey with two outs in the sixth inning, threw 14 pitches, allowed two home runs, four hits and four runs.
David Wright had a big night, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs (16, 17), two runs and five RBI. Jose Reyes was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Wright and Reyes combined for six of the Mets seven hits in the game.
Carlos Beltran went 0-for-3, including a fly out with the tying runs on base and two out in the eighth inning. Since his return on July 15, Beltran is now hitting .216 (11-for-51) in 14 games.
The Mets left six men on base and went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Post Game Quotes:
Jerry Manuel (on Mike Pelfrey): “Mike is a guy that we’ve counted on and he is we felt a guy who has evolved into what is being talked about as an all-star pitcher. When you have a guy that has that kind of half and then slips back, that puts a chink in the armor. We have to make sure he gets back to that level of play. Then we feel pretty good about what we’ve got going forward. If he doesn’t, then it becomes an issue.”
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