Mets at Diamondbacks
After snapping a season high-tying five-game losing streak in improbable fashion, the Arizona Diamondbacks try for a series victory over the visiting New York Mets on Sunday. Arizona erased four-run deficits in the seventh and eighth innings before Tim Locastro's deep walk-off single in the 11th gave the Diamondbacks a 6-5 victory - only their fourth in the last 14 games.
Ketel Marte is batting .381 with nine RBIs and 11 runs scored during his nine-game hitting streak after driving in a run with a single on Saturday and scoring on Adam Jones' game-tying two-run homer two batters later. New York squandered an opportunity to win back-to-back road games for the first time since April 11-12 and has lost 16 of its last 20 away from Citi Field. Todd Frazier, who has gone 9-for-24 with four RBIs and seven runs scored on the Mets' six-game road trip, is batting .351 in the last 16 games compared to .148 over his first 18 contests of the season. New York's Steven Matz takes the ball Sunday after a solid peformance against the Los Angeles Dodgers and opposes rookie Merrill Kelly, who has lost his last two starts.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, SNY (New York), FS Arizona
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets LH Steven Matz (4-3, 3.55 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks RH Merrill Kelly (4-6, 4.83)
Matz allowed two runs, four hits and three walks while registering six strikeouts in six innings of a 7-3 victory at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. The 28-year-old New Yorker is 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA over his last six starts since suffering a 14-3 loss at Philadelphia in which he didn't record an out. Nick Ahmed is 3-for-5 with a triple and a double versus Matz, who is 1-0 with a 3.78 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks.
Kelly yielded four runs for the second straight game in a 6-2 loss at Colorado on Tuesday. The 30-year-old native of Arizona has fared better at home, where he is 2-2 with a 2.74 ERA in five starts compared to 2-4, 7.14 in six road turns. Kelly has permitted 67 hits and 23 walks with 45 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings this season after pitching in South Korea from 2015-18.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York starters own a 3.02 ERA in their last seven road games after posting a 5.51 ERA in the first 27 such contests this season.
2. Arizona 1B Kevin Cron was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Saturday and scored the winning run after hitting a leadoff double.
3. Mets pitchers are batting a National League-best .214 this season.