Arizona @ New York preview
Citi Field
Last Meeting ( Sep 14, 2023 ) Arizona 1, NY Mets 11
The New York Mets didn't know late Wednesday how long they might have to play without Pete Alonso.
The Mets, however, reportedly knew they'd just seen the last of Jorge Lopez in a New York uniform.
The Mets will look to bounce back from a chaotic turn of events when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.
Rookie Christian Scott (0-2, 3.97 ERA) is slated to start for the Mets against fellow right-hander Zac Gallen (5-4, 3.12).
Both teams suffered the final defeat in a series sweep on Wednesday afternoon. The host Mets dropped a 10-3 decision to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a three-game set while the visiting Diamondbacks fell 6-1 to the Texas Rangers to end a two-game rematch of last year's World Series.
The Mets' loss was overshadowed by the possible injury to Alonso, Lopez's actions and comments following his eighth-inning ejection for arguing with third base umpire Ramon De Jesus, and a team meeting.
Alonso, who has missed just 25 games since debuting with the Mets on Opening Day 2019, crumpled to his knees Wednesday upon being hit on the hand as he tried to check his swing. He was visited by a trainer before heading into the dugout. The Mets said X-rays were negative but that Alonso would undergo further imaging.
Despite the absence of their leading power hitter, the Mets climbed back from a three-run deficit before the Dodgers scored six times in the eighth. Shohei Ohtani capped the outburst with a two-run homer off Lopez, who was ejected four pitches later after arguing with De Jesus.
Lopez untucked his jersey and threw his glove into the stands on his way off the field. Following the team meeting, he said he didn't regret tossing the glove even if he looked like "the worst teammate" in baseball. Multiple outlets reported the Mets designated Lopez for assignment Wednesday night.
The Mets were outscored 18-5 in losing three games to the Dodgers. They've won back-to-back games just once this month and have lost 15 of their last 19 games overall.
"It's no secret that things aren't going the way that we want around here," said Brandon Nimmo, the longest-tenured Mets player. "So we just opened the floor and talked about ways we can turn it around."
The Diamondbacks will need to author their own turnaround if they want to return to the playoffs following last year's Cinderella run. Arizona reached the playoffs with 84 wins and advanced to the World Series for the second time in franchise history.
The Diamondbacks, who fell a season-high five games under .500 with Wednesday's loss, haven't been at the break-even mark since they were 9-9 on April 16. Arizona has just seven runs in its last five games, a span in which it has left 33 men on base.
"We continue to build the innings and then we can't get that big two-out hit," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "Situational hitting, hitting deep in counts, getting that big two-out hit and being stubborn is part of this game. I know it's challenging, but we can be better at it."
Scott didn't factor into the Mets' decision Friday after allowing two runs over six innings in an 8-7 loss to the San Francisco Giants. He has never opposed the Diamondbacks.
Gallen took the defeat Friday after allowing three runs over seven innings in the Diamondbacks' 3-0 loss to the Miami Marlins. He is 0-2 with a 3.77 ERA in six career starts against the Mets.
--Field Level Media