New York @ Arizona preview
Chase Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 19, 2010 ) NY Mets 2, Arizona 13
The New York Mets finally have their lineup at full strength, but their pitching staff took another turn for the worse on Monday night.
The Mets have lost seven of their last nine after a 13-2 pounding at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the series opener. They'll turn to 35-year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey to try to stop their slide when the series continues on Tuesday at Chase Field.
Like Monday's starter, Mike Pelfrey, who was bombed for six runs in 1 1/3 innings against Arizona, Dickey has hit a rough patch lately - though not entirely of his own doing.
Dickey (6-3, 2.63 ERA) began his stint with the Mets with a bang, winning his first six decisions, but he hasn't notched a victory since June 23. He is 0-3 in his last four starts, despite a respectable 3.16 ERA over that span.
In his last outing, Dickey held the San Francisco Giants to one run over seven innings, but he still took the loss in a 2-0 setback.
The Mets ought to be able to provide at least a bit more run support with shortstop Jose Reyes, center fielder Carlos Beltran and second baseman Luis Castillo back in the lineup. Then again, having that trio together for the first time in more than a year didn't solve New York's offensive woes Monday.
Reyes and Castillo had two hits apiece and Beltran went 1-for-4, but the Mets left 10 men on base and scored fewer than four runs for the 10th consecutive game.
They'll look to break out of their offensive slump against 24-year-old right-hander Barry Enright, who is set to make his fourth major-league start.
After winning his major-league debut against the Cardinals, Enright (1-2, 3.45 ERA) has lost his last two starts, though he too has been the recipient of some tough luck.
His last outing on July 11 against the Florida Marlins, Enright allowed two runs on four hits over five innings, but he was the losing pitcher in a 2-0 defeat.
The Diamondbacks have scored a total of eight runs in Enright's three starts, so he would be happy to see Monday's offensive outburst carry over on Tuesday.
Arizona raked 18 hits Monday, including three apiece by Chris Young, Miguel Montero, Adam LaRoche and Mark Reynolds. Reynolds hit his 21st homer of the season and drove in four runs.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Arizona, which is 20 games behind the San Diego Padres in the NL West. The Mets have fallen 5 1/2 games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.
Those two division leaders begin a three-game series on Tuesday at Turner Field.