Mets stay red-hot at the plate, in the field in series-opening win over Diamondbacks

Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News on Apr 29, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — Despite a lopsided score and home runs by Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Starling Marte, the most impressive inning for the Mets was one in which they didn’t have to swing the bats at all.

In the top of the fourth inning, with left-hander David Peterson facing the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Nos. 3-5 hitters, the Mets made three of the more difficult plays you’ll see all year and made them consecutively in an 8-3 win Tuesday night at Citi Field.

Mark Vientos dove to stop Randal Grichuk’s ground ball from getting through and the ball bounced off of his glove. Lindor caught it off the bounce and heaved the throw from the edge of the grass across the diamond to Alonso at first base. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. then hit a deep fly ball to the left-center warning track that looked destined for extra bases, until Tyrone Taylor sprinted over from right-center and dove, making the outstretched catch as left fielder Jose Azocar hurdled him.

Eugenio Suarez smoked a sinker more than 111 mph off the bat, but Lindor made a backhanded stop at the edge of the grass and sent it to Alonso.

The Mets were already up 7-0, but even with a large lead, they never let up. This game was a perfect characterization of the 2025 Mets so far. Their scorching hot start has been the result of a long lineup, run suppression and an energetic style of play that wears out other teams on both sides of the ball.

Taylor might have made an incredible catch, but he also drove in two runs, going 2 for 4 with a double. The outfielder drove in the first run of the game in the bottom of the second, sparking a two-out rally that saw the Mets take four runs off left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. Taylor’s double scored Luisangel Acuña from first base, and Azocar sent him home on a single.

Lindor then took Rodriguez deep to left field where the ball was flying all night. His sixth homer of the year made it 4-0, and Marte made it 6-0 in the bottom of the third with a two-run shot off Rodriguez.

The Mets (21-9) could do no wrong. A bloop single by Acuña came with one out. With two outs and Acuña in scoring position after stealing second base, Taylor lined one to center to give the Mets a 7-0 lead.

Alonso hit his seventh home run of the season in the fourth. The Diamondbacks (15-14) pulled Rodriguez (1-3) after four innings, nine hits, eight earned runs, one walk and one strikeout.

Peterson went five innings in the win (2-1), limiting the Diamondbacks to only one run on five hits while striking out two. At 85 pitches, the Mets could have sent him back out for a sixth inning, but they called up Kevin Herget earlier in the day for bullpen help. Right-hander Jose Butto pitched the sixth and seventh, and Herget had the green light to finish the game.