Field Level Media
Sep 11, 2019
Todd Frazier and Jeff McNeil homered twice while Brandon Nimmo also connected as the New York Mets beat the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 9-0 Wednesday night.
The Mets (75-70) won their third straight and improved to 8-4 in their past 12 following a six-game losing streak from Aug. 23-29. The are now two games behind the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers in the race for the second National League wild-card spot.
Frazier recorded his second multi-homer game of the season and 11th of his career by connecting in consecutive at-bats in the first and third against Robbie Ray (12-8) and Taylor Clarke.
Nimmo followed Frazier's two-run, first-inning drive to left-center by homering on the next pitch to give New York a 5-0 lead.
McNeil hit his first homer of the night with two outs in the second, sending a pitch into the second deck in right field to make it 6-0. Frazier belted a solo shot to right-center field in the third, and McNeil made it 9-0 with a drive to the second deck in right field off Yoshihasa Hirano in the sixth.
It was McNeil's first career multi-homer game.
Frazier and McNeil became the third and fourth Mets to reach 20 homers, tying the team record set in 1987 and matched in 2000 and 2016.
Wilson Ramos had an RBI groundout to start the five-run inning after the Mets pulled off a double steal. J.D. Davis preceded Frazier's first homer with an RBI single.
New York left-hander Steven Matz (10-8) allowed four hits in six innings. He struck out seven, walked three and improved to 7-1 at home this season.
Matz nearly allowed the Diamondbacks to get back in the game in the second inning after being handed a 5-0 lead. He issued consecutive walks to Wilmer Flores, Adam Jones and Nick Ahmed but escaped by striking out Carson Kelly and getting pinch hitter Kevin Cron to bounce into a double play.
The Diamondbacks (75-71) absorbed their fourth straight loss following an 11-1 run that brought them back into the race. Arizona is 2 1/2 games behind the Cubs and the Brewers.
Ray turned in the shortest start of his career, allowing five runs on five hits in two-thirds of an inning.
--Field Level Media