The New York Mets are coming off their first series win in more than a month. The Arizona Diamondbacks came close to a sweep at the Los Angeles Angels despite not having one of their best players available in two of the games.
Now, the Mets and National League West-leading Diamondbacks will meet for the first time this season in a three-game series starting Tuesday at Phoenix.
Arizona won two of three games in Anaheim, Calif., over the weekend, although rookie sensation Corbin Carroll did not play Friday and Saturday because of a shoulder injury.
Carroll, named a starting NL outfielder in the All-Star Game next week at Seattle, grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the Angels.
Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Carroll will “most likely” return to the starting lineup in center field for the series against the Mets after encouraging signs during batting practice Sunday.
“The swings that I saw him take were good,” Lovullo said. “He was testing it, and everything felt as good as it possibly could. It’s very encouraging. The fact that he’s down in the cage taking some more swings is even more encouraging for me.”
Carroll is batting .289 with a team-best 17 home runs. He also has 24 stolen bases, 20 doubles, three triples and 44 RBIs.
New York defeated the visiting San Francisco Giants 8-4 on Sunday to achieve its first series win since sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies at home from May 30-June 1.
“The past is the past, and it hasn’t been what we wanted,” said New York starting pitcher David Peterson, who pitched four innings Sunday, allowing one run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. “But it’s a new month.”
New York manager Buck Showalter, who managed the Arizona Diamondbacks from their inception in 1998 through the 2000 season, has dealt with injuries and struggles from veterans, including shortstop Francisco Lindor, who is batting .223 with 70 hits and 77 strikeouts.
“I know what our job description is to be one of the teams that gets a chance to roll the dice in October,” Showalter said. “That’s still a possibility. So that’s what we’re going after.”
Through Sunday, the Mets were 18 1/2 games behind the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves and eight games back of qualifying for a wild-card spot.
Two right-handers will face each other Tuesday with New York’s Kodai Senga (6-5, 3.53 ERA) going against Arizona’s Zach Davies (1-4, 6.54).
Senga, 30, is in his rookie season with the Mets after playing professionally in Japan from 2012 through last season. He will pitch against the Diamondbacks for the first time in his career.
His last win came June 10 when he went seven innings in a 5-1 win at the Pittsburgh Pirates. He allowed only two hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
Senga has lost two of three starts with a 4.24 ERA since.
Davies has made nine career starts against the Mets and is 3-3 with a 5.32 ERA in those games. He has allowed 52 hits in 45 2/3 innings with 30 strikeouts and 14 walks.
–Field Level Media
