NEW YORK — Christian Walker hit a grand slam in the third inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the New York Mets 10-5 on Saturday to stop a five-game losing streak that matched their season high.
Arizona, which took a 10-1 lead into the ninth, has scored 19 runs in its last two games after totaling nine in its previous six.
“The grand slam really gave us a lift emotionally,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “We just got to remember how good we are, individually and collectively.”
Both teams were coming off a miserable May. The Mets went 9-19 with a major league-worst 4.85 ERA; Arizona was 11-15 and its 4.72 ERA was 29th.
Walker drove a sweeper from Sean Manaea (3-2) to left field for his 12th home run this season and second career slam, giving Arizona a 4-0 lead.
“They got that huge hit at the right time,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Walker said during a pregame hitters meeting batters felt a carryover from a four-run ninth inning in Friday night's 10-9 defeat.
“You put up a bunch of runs off a bullpen, there’s something there, so just tried to repeat that and get back out to a good lead,” he said.
Diamondbacks reliever Kevin Ginkel (3-1) left in the sixth after being hit on the left knee by Brandon Nimmo’s line drive, two days after Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen strained his right hamstring six pitches into the series opener. X-rays were negative and Ginkel said he only had a bruise.
“Initially I thought it was bad, but after lying there for a second, I could feel my knee was not like in pain but it was just stiff and sore,” Ginkel said. “Hopefully in another day or so, it should be fine.”
Diamondbacks starter Slade Cecconi allowed one run and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. A 24-year-old right-hander recalled a day earlier when Gallen went on the 15-day injured list, Cecconi gave up a 440-foot home run to Mark Vientos, who drove a hanging slider into the left-field second deck in the fifth.
Pete Alonso added his 13th homer, a two-run, two-out drive in a four-run ninth against Brandon Hughes. Paul Sewald retired J.D. Martinez with a man on for the final out.
“It's really nice to be able to get their closer in the game," Alonso said, “a huge step for us going into tomorrow.”
Cecconi has allowed nine home runs in 37 big league innings this season. Vientos’ homer was his fourth in 51 at-bats this year.
Arizona stole a season-high four bases and its speed helped spark a two-run sixth. Blaze Alexander hit a run-scoring single, swiped second, took third on Josh Walker’s wild pitch and continued home when Tomás Nido’s throw sailed down the left-field line for the catcher’s fifth error in 31 games this year.
Randal Grichuk had an RBI single in the seventh and Eugenio Suárez delivered a sacrifice fly. Corbin Carroll added a two-run single in the eighth.
New York had won the first two games of the four-game series after losing eight of its previous nine games.
Manaea became the first Mets pitcher with a double-digit strikeout game this season, the eighth of his big league career. He gave up six runs — five earned — and six hits in 5 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: All-Star SS Geraldo Perdomo (right meniscus tear) was 0 for 4 with an RBI grounder and three strikeouts Friday as the DH during his first rehab game in the Arizona Complex League. He went 1 for 3 while playing shortstop for five innings Saturday.
Mets: C Francisco Alvarez (left thumb surgery) caught seven innings at Double-A Binghamton and went 0 for 3.
UP NEXT
Mets LHP Jose Quintana (1-5, 5.06 ERA) starts Sunday’s series finale against RHP Brandon Pfaadt (2-4, 4.36).
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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