A successful first month of the season doesn’t guarantee playoff success for the New York Mets or the franchise’s first championship in 36 years.

However, after Friday night, the Mets know they will have one moment from 2022 that will be replayed at Citi Field and on the team’s broadcasts forever.

The Mets will look to build off the momentum of the second no-hitter in team history Saturday night, when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in the middle game of a three-game series between the National League East rivals.

Taijuan Walker (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will come off the injured list to start for the Mets against Kyle Gibson (2-1, 3.47) in a battle of right-handers.

Five Mets pitchers combined to no-hit the Phillies in a 3-0 win Friday night.

Tylor Megill went five innings — and was put in position to earn the win when Jeff McNeil delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth — before Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez, Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz got the final 12 outs in New York’s first no-hitter since Johan Santana’s gem against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 1, 2012.

“(The Santana no-hitter is) one of the highlights we see most often here — before games, after games, during rain delays,” Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo said. “It’s something that you’re like, ‘I’d like to be a part of a game that they play over and over again.’

“So I’m just trying to soak it all in and enjoy this night. It is one of those that you guys are going to be playing over and over again.”

The Mets, who have the best record in baseball at 15-6, have won their first six series of the season for the first time in franchise history. Their run differential of plus-36 is tied with the crosstown Yankees for third-best in baseball.

“I feel like we’re doing a really good job of answering the bell so far,” said first baseman Pete Alonso, who hit a solo homer in the sixth inning on Friday. “We just need to keep rolling — keep going and competing every day, just focusing on who’s in front of us that day.”

The Phillies, who arrived in New York after outscoring the Colorado Rockies 32-9 during a four-game series sweep, drew six walks Friday but didn’t come close to a hit after a diving Nimmo caught Jean Segura’s liner for the final out of the third inning.

“The great thing is it only counts as one loss, right?” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said with a chuckle after he was on the losing end of a no-hitter for the first time in his career as a player or manager.

Girardi caught Dwight Gooden’s no-hitter and David Cone’s perfect game with the Yankees and was the then-Florida Marlins manager when Anibal Sanchez threw a no-hitter in 2006.

“I’ve seen a lot of them, so it’s a real exciting time at the moment,” he said. “But it’s still one game.”

Walker made his only appearance of the season against the Phillies on April 11, when he retired all six batters he faced — four via strikeout — before exiting with a stiff shoulder. He threw four innings in a simulated game Monday.

He is 1-2 with a 3.15 ERA in seven career starts against Philadelphia.

Gibson recorded a win against the Rockies in his most recent start, when he allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings in the Phillies’ 8-2 victory on Monday.

In five career starts vs. the Mets, Gibson is 1-3 with a 4.85 ERA.

–Field Level Media

Tylor Megill and four relievers combined on the second no-hitter in team history as the host New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 on Friday night.

Johan Santana threw the Mets’ only previous no-hitter on June 1, 2012, when he struck out eight in an 8-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Mets threw 159 pitches — the most ever thrown in a nine-inning no-hitter — while striking out 12 and walking six. It was the first no-hitter of this season in the majors.

Megill threw 88 pitches in five innings. He issued two of his three walks to Kyle Schwarber and struck out five but was pulled due to several long counts.

Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez, Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz completed the no-hitter, Diaz striking out Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto in the ninth for his fourth save in five chances to complete the 17th combined no-hitter in major league history.

Nationals 14, Giants 4

Victor Robles, Josh Bell and Maikel Franco led a 22-hit assault with four hits apiece as Washington got a measure of revenge for a three-game shellacking at home last weekend with a destruction of host San Francisco.

Alcides Escobar and Cesar Hernandez each added three hits and Juan Soto homered for the Nationals, who snapped an eight-game losing streak. The Giants took their second loss in a row after winning five straight.

In a matchup of two guys who started for the Giants last season, Aaron Sanchez (1-1) outdueled Alex Wood (2-1), limiting San Francisco to three runs on six hits in five innings. He struck out four without walking anyone.

Astros 11, Blue Jays 7

Alex Bregman, Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez smacked home runs and Houston slugged its way past host Toronto.

Pena and Alvarez homered in the Astros’ five-run sixth inning to extend their tenuous 5-4 lead. Bregman and Alvarez scored three times each, and Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel notched three hits apiece. Starter Jose Urquidy (2-1) worked five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his sixth homer of the season, a three-run shot, for Toronto. Matt Chapman also homered and drove in two runs, and Raimel Tapia had four hits. Reliever Trent Thornton (0-2) took the loss. He allowed one run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Guardians 9, A’s 8

Josh Naylor belted a go-ahead, two-run homer and Andres Gimenez hit his first career grand slam to help Cleveland snap a seven-game losing streak with a victory at Oakland.

Jose Ramirez added three RBIs on a solo shot and a two-run double while reaching base four times and scoring three runs. Ramirez, who played in his 1,000th game with the franchise, has a major-league-best 28 RBIs. Gimenez and Myles Straw each had three hits for the Guardians.

Sheldon Neuse had three hits and three RBIs and Sean Murphy smacked a three-run homer for the A’s, who have lost four of their past six games.

Yankees 12, Royals 2

New York hit four home runs, including a three-run blast by Aaron Judge to break open a close game in the seventh, as the Yankees defeated host Kansas City in a game shortened to eight innings by rain.

The Yankees, who lead the majors with 29 home runs, extended their winning streak to seven games. Nestor Cortes (1-0) picked up the win. He allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits in five innings.

Losing pitcher Kris Bubic (0-2) surrendered three runs on four hits in five innings with no walks and three strikeouts.

Diamondbacks 6, Cardinals 2

Arizona left-hander Madison Bumgarner allowed one run in five innings and Daulton Varsho had two hits and an RBI in a win over host St. Louis.

Bumgarner (1-1) settled down after giving up a home run to Paul Goldschmidt on a 12-pitch at-bat with one out in the first inning. Bumgarner allowed three hits with two strikeouts and a walk. He has a 1.17 ERA through five starts this season.

The Diamondbacks took a 2-1 lead in the third inning against 17-year veteran Adam Wainwright (2-3), who allowed three runs and four hits in six innings with five walks and four strikeouts for the Cardinals.

Brewers 11, Cubs 1

Hunter Renfroe hit two of Milwaukee’s six home runs and Adrian Houser pitched six shutout innings to open a three-game home series against rival Chicago with an easy win.

The Brewers never trailed en route to their fourth straight win, with Jace Peterson going deep in a three-run second and Andrew McCutchen hitting his second in two days in the third. Christian Yelich and Willy Adames also homered for Milwaukee.

Houser (2-2) limited the Cubs to two hits in his six innings. He walked three and struck out six. Chicago starter Kyle Hendricks (1-2) was gone after 4 1/3 innings, pounded for six runs and seven hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Angels 5, White Sox 1

Taylor Ward homered on the second pitch of the game and finished with three hits, Shohei Ohtani also homered, and seven Los Angeles pitchers combined on a three-hitter in Chicago.

Los Angeles right-hander Noah Syndergaard was scratched from his scheduled start due to an undisclosed illness, prompting manager Joe Maddon to open the game with reliever Jimmy Herget, who allowed one run and one hit in three innings with two strikeouts.

Austin Warren (2-0) earned the victory with two innings of perfect relief. Raisel Iglesias entered with two on and one out in the ninth to pick up his sixth save, working around a walk that loaded the bases to retire Luis Robert on a flyout to end the game.

Rays 6, Twins 1

Josh Lowe belted his first career home run in a four-run first inning as Tampa Bay ended Minnesota’s seven-game winning streak in the opener of a three-game series in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Corey Kluber (1-1) gave up one run and one hit across six innings for his first victory as a member of the Rays, who’ve won three games in a row and five of their last six. Kluber struck out six and didn’t walk a batter.

Twins starter Dylan Bundy (3-1) had allowed a total of one earned run in his first three games. He lasted six innings and was charged with six earned runs and seven hits despite striking out seven. Carlos Correa had two of Minnesota’s three hits and drove in the Twins’ run.

Marlins 8, Mariners 6

Jorge Soler and Miguel Rojas each drilled two-run home runs as host Miami won its sixth straight game by edging Seattle.

Soler’s homer was a monster blast, measured at 468 feet, and Miami’s Jesus Sanchez added a two-run single and a diving catch in center field. Elieser Hernandez (2-1) earned the win, allowing five hits, one walk and three runs in five innings.

Seattle, which lost its third straight game, was led by nine-hole hitter Luis Torrens, who drove in four runs, including a three-run double. Mariners right-hander Penn Murfee made his major league debut, pitching two scoreless innings in relief. Rookie Matt Brash (1-2) took the loss, allowing seven hits, two walks and six runs in two innings.

Padres 7, Pirates 3

Ha-Seong Kim, Jake Cronenworth and Trayce Thompson drove in two runs apiece and Yu Darvish pitched six innings despite being struck in the thigh by a 105-mph line drive as San Diego defeated host Pittsburgh.

The win stretched San Diego’s winning streak to four. Darvish (2-1) gave up three runs on eight hits and a walk with five strikeouts in six innings to get the win. Taylor Rogers entered with two on and one out in the ninth to get his eighth save.

Pirates starter Zach Thompson (0-3) gave up four runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss. Daniel Vogelbach led Pittsburgh with two hits and two RBIs.

Red Sox 3, Orioles 1

Christian Arroyo hit a two-run home run as Boston opened a three-game series by handing host Baltimore its fifth straight loss.

Baltimore was limited to three hits before Ryan Mountcastle homered off Hansel Robles to lead off the ninth inning. Matt Strahm, who replaced Robles with two outs and a runner at second, walked Anthony Santander before striking out pinch hitter Chris Owings for his first career save.

Rich Hill yielded one hit over four-plus scoreless innings for Boston, which won for just the second time in its last seven games. Tanner Houck (2-1) earned the victory after allowing two hits over three scoreless frames.

Braves 6, Rangers 3

William Contreras hit two of Atlanta’s four home runs, the first multi-homer game of his career, in the win over Texas in Arlington, Texas.

Austin Riley hit a two-run homer and Travis Demeritte had an inside-the-park homer when the ball skipped past center fielder Adolis Garcia. Atlanta starter Ian Anderson (2-1) pitched six innings, allowing two runs on three hits, two walks and five strikeouts.

Garrett Richards (0-1) opened the game for Texas and allowed two runs in one inning before giving way to Spencer Howard, who gave up one run on two hits, two walks and three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Garcia and Corey Seager blasted home runs for the Rangers.

Rockies 10, Reds 4

Ryan McMahon blasted a three-run homer and Antonio Senzatela allowed just one run in 6 1/3 innings to power Colorado to a victory over visiting Cincinnati in Denver.

McMahon went 1-for-4 with a walk while Senzatela (2-1) allowed the one earned run on seven hits with two walks and a strikeout.

The Rockies ended a four-game losing streak, while the Reds lost for the 17th time in their first 20 games.

Dodgers 5, Tigers 1

Justin Turner and Chris Taylor hit their first home runs of the season and host Los Angeles downed struggling Detroit.

Los Angeles’ Tyler Anderson (2-0) pitched the first five innings, allowing one run on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts. Evan Phillips, Phil Bickford, Brusdar Graterol and Reyes Moronta each tossed a single inning of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and no walks overall while recording four strikeouts.

Detroit starter Tyler Alexander (0-3) lasted just 2 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on three hits, as his team’s losing streak extended to six games.

–Field Level Media

Chicago left-hander Justin Steele and Milwaukee lefty Eric Lauer will be the focus of a smoldering beanball war when the visiting Cubs and the Brewers continue their three-game series on Saturday.

The Brewers used six home runs, two by Hunter Renfroe, and six shutout innings from Adrian Houser as the foundation for an 11-1 victory in the series opener on Friday.

The game featured just one hit batter — Kolten Wong was plunked by Kyle Hendricks’ fourth pitch of the game — after the season-opening, three-game series between the National League Central rivals saw seven players get hit, including Cubs catcher Willson Contreras twice.

Contreras was behind the plate for Friday’s game, which saw no retaliation after Wong’s plunking evened the score at four for each team this season.

Interestingly, before Wong got hit, Cubs pitchers had drilled just one batter since the three Brewers they nailed in the opening series. Still, the Cubs entered the series having hit 11 batters, tied for third most in the National League.

The Brewers let their bats do the talking to Hendricks, even though they did not score in the same inning in which Wong got hit.

Milwaukee came out swinging in the second, however, with Jace Peterson highlighting a three-run uprising with the first of Milwaukee’s home runs.

Wong got a measure of revenge six pitches later with a double to right field.

Andrew McCutchen, who was drilled by a Keegan Thompson pitch in the opening series, contributed another of the Brewers’ homers.

Thompson was suspended three games for the incident, but the punishment was reduced to two games after an appeal.

Lauer (1-0, 2.20 ERA) will get an opportunity to set the pitching tone in the rematch when he takes the mound for the top of the first inning.

He did not pitch in the season-opening series and has not hit a batter all season. In 16 1/3 innings, he has limited the Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies to a total of four earned runs and 13 hits.

Lauer has gone 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in four previous outings against the Cubs, including three starts. He has hit only one Cub — David Bote — in those 14 2/3 innings, that coming in a 2018 start for the San Diego Padres.

Having lost eight of 10 while scoring three runs or fewer seven times in that stretch, the Cubs would like to get slugging outfielder Clint Frazier back from appendicitis this weekend.

“I got a pretty funny text back, saying he was ready to rake already,” Chicago manager David Ross said of a communication earlier this week. “He seems to be doing well.”

Steele (1-2, 5.40 ERA) pitched the controversial second game of the season, a 9-0 home win over the Brewers. He allowed four hits in five innings without hitting a batter.

In fact, like Lauer, he hasn’t hit a batter this season.

The 26-year-old has faced the Brewers five times, including three starts, going 1-1 with a 2.76 ERA. He hit Avisail Garcia in a relief appearance against Milwaukee last April.

Like the Cubs, the Brewers appear likely to play the rest of the series without one of their regulars. Luis Urias (quad strain) will extend his injury-rehab stint in the minors a few more days.

“He’ll play through the weekend, and we’ll evaluate it after,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Friday. “After the weekend, we’re looking at a pretty good number of at-bats. But he’s going to be there at the minimum for the weekend.”

–Field Level Media

Rookie Bryce Elder will have hundreds of family members and friends in Globe Life Field on Saturday when he pitches near his hometown for the first time in his career.

Elder, a native of nearby Decatur, Texas, will be on the mound for the Atlanta Braves when they play the Texas Rangers in the second game of a three-game series in Arlington, Texas.

Elder (1-2, 4.30 ERA) will be opposed by Texas right-hander Dane Dunning (0-1, 4.91).

“A lot of memories made by that 2010, 2011 run they made,” Elder said. “As much as I would have liked to pitch in the other ballpark, (Globe Life Park) is sweet. I’m looking forward to it.”

Elder was Atlanta’s fifth-round draft choice in 2020 and he passed on a scholarship to Texas to sign with the Braves.

In his major league debut on April 11, he pitched 5 2/3 innings and got the win against Washington.

In the two starts since, Elder has not gotten past the fifth and has walked 11 and struck out seven in nine combined innings.

Dunning will make his fifth start of the season. He has limited the opposition to three or fewer runs in each start. He will be working on regular four days rest after receiving no decision against the Houston Astros on April 25 when he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk.

He will be making his first career start against a National League opponent.

Dunning will try to stop the Texas slide. The Rangers have lost four in a row and have won only six games, tied for the fewest wins in the American League.

“We’ve got to find a way to win, not find a way to lose,” said Texas manager Chris Woodward. “I think that’s where we’re kind of at. The team has to kind of look inside yourself and say, ‘OK, how are we going to get better at those spots.”

The Braves have received a boost in offensive production thanks to the promotion of a pair of players who were teammates in Triple-A Gwinnett just 10 days ago.

The Braves had four home runs in Friday’s 6-3 win in the series opener. They had three on Thursday against Chicago and lead the National League with 28.

On Friday night, William Contreras had his first multi-home run game in his first start since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday.

“To come in and take advantage of that situation, he did a really good job,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “Two big hits in a game like this and that’s just a credit to William that when we sent him out, he went down there and worked his tail off and stayed ready.”

Outfielder Travis Demeritte and Contreras have added some life to a lineup that had struggled.

Demeritte has two home runs, including an inside-the-parker, and is batting .389 since being recalled on April 20.

Contreras had two homers on Friday in his first game since being promoted Thursday.

–Field Level Media

Teams heading in opposite directions will meet on Saturday when the surging San Diego Padres visit the slumping Pittsburgh Pirates.

San Diego has won four straight, while the Pirates have lost four in a row following the Padres’ 7-3 win on Friday.

The Padres broke a 2-2 tie on a bases-loaded, sharp grounder by Jake Cronenworth that struck second base umpire Jeremie Rehak’s lower leg. The play was scored as an RBI single. Manny Machado followed with a sacrifice fly — and the Pirates never recovered.

In the bottom of the ninth, with two on and two out, Bryan Reynolds rocketed a 100-mph line drive that appeared headed to the left-field corner. But it was hit right at Machado, one of the best fielding third basemen in the game.

“We haven’t really caught a break,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton after the game. “If it’s not right at Manny it’s a double. We’ve got to keep swinging the bats. We need to find some offense and maybe find it in some different ways.”

The Pirates haven’t homered in six games. They have only one extra-base hit in the past three. Pittsburgh had 10 hits — all singles — Friday.

“And we hit some balls hard at people,” said Shelton.

On Saturday, Padres left-hander Sean Manaea (2-2, 3.47 ERA) will be paired against right-hander JT Brubaker (0-2, 6.46). Each will be making his fifth start of the season while coming off a shaky performance.

Manaea, who was acquired from Oakland just before the start of the season, had his worst start as a Padre in his last outing. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings at home against the Dodgers on Sunday.

“It was one of those games where he just didn’t have his best stuff,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said of Manaea, who entered his fourth start with a 1.42 ERA.

Brubaker worked only three innings against the Cubs in Chicago last Sunday, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts in three innings while battling a case of the flu.

Brubaker, 28, is still trying to prove himself as a big-league starter.

He has a 6-18 career record with a 5.34 ERA and 1.342 WHIP in 39 career appearances (37 starts). He has 194 strikeouts in 185 innings.

Brubaker has faced the Padres once before, last May 5 in San Diego where he gave up two runs on six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.

Manaea, 30, has a 52-43 record with a 3.85 ERA in 132 career starts. This will be his first career start against the Pirates.

“The last couple of games, the ability to come back from early deficits then keep adding on later in the game has been big for us,” Melvin said after Friday’s win. “That, and getting production from the bottom of the order.”

–Field Level Media

Los Angeles Angels infielder David Fletcher contributed a pair of doubles in his team’s 13-hit attack in his return to the lineup Friday.

Fletcher was 1-for-13 to open the season before landing on the injured list with a left hip strain, but manager Joe Maddon remained confident in him.

“I have a lot of faith in the guy. I think he’ll figure things out,” Maddon said. “I think he’ll make any kind of adjustment necessary.”

Perseverance is in heavy supply for Fletcher and the Angels, who enter Saturday’s visit to the slumping Chicago White Sox on a six-game winning streak.

Los Angeles extended the run Friday when seven pitchers combined on a three-hitter in a 5-1 victory.

Noah Syndergaard was scratched from his scheduled start, sending Maddon to Plan B.

“Everything about it, it was just a really well-played game on our part,” he said.

Chicago would like to say the same about its own play.

After starting the season 6-2, the defending American League Central champs have lost 10 of 11 and will be assured of their first losing month since September 2019.

The White Sox fell to 4-11 against the Angels since the start of 2019 in Friday’s series opener. Chicago mustered just three hits, including two by Tim Anderson.

Chicago has been outscored 19-10 while losing three of four to open a seven-game homestand.

“We keep working,” White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “We are going to be all right.”

First baseman Jose Abreu, who singled Friday, said the team is not panicking about its offense.

“Tony and the whole coaching staff are doing a very good job,” Abreu said. “They are giving us all the information we need. At the end of the day, it’s on us to execute the plan and to do our job. We haven’t been able to do that. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”

La Russa said outfielder Andrew Vaughn would undergo X-rays on his right hand after he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning Friday.

Right-hander Vince Velasquez (0-2, 6.75 ERA) is set to make his fourth start for Chicago. He has struck out 13 batters in 12 innings this season while surrendering three home runs.

Velasquez has thrown just a single inning in his career against the Angels, holding them scoreless while he was a Houston Astro in 2015.

Velasquez was thumped in an April 23 start at Minnesota, allowing five runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts.

Lefty Jose Suarez (0-1, 5.54 ERA) gets the call for the Angels. Suarez has struck out 11 in 13 innings this season and has struggled in limited career action against the White Sox, allowing four runs in a four-inning relief appearance.

Angels outfielder Taylor Ward is batting .458 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in his past seven games. He was 3-for-5 with a leadoff home run and two RBIs Friday.

“He keeps doing it,” Maddon said. “Quality at-bat after quality at-bat.”

–Field Level Media

Torey Lovullo celebrated managing the most games in Arizona Diamondbacks history with a win Friday at St. Louis in the second contest of a four-game series.

The teams have split the first two games heading into Saturday’s matinee matchup.

“To me, what it means is I have a great group of people that believe in me,” said Lovullo, whose 729 games as Arizona’s manager since 2017 passes the 728 Kirk Gibson managed from 2010-2014.

“I have a lot of my job that I still want to do here and I’m just grateful for this opportunity. I am not paying attention to those things. Those things don’t really add up to me but one day they will. Right now, I just want to win a baseball game tomorrow. That’s all I’m thinking about.”

Arizona will start right-hander Merrill Kelly (1-1, 1.69 ERA) on Saturday against right-hander Miles Mikolas (1-0, 1.21).

Kelly has faced the Cardinals twice in his career, both times in 2019. He is 1-1 with an ERA of 4.91 against St. Louis, giving up nine runs (six earned) in 11 innings.

Mikolas is 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA in three appearances, including a start, in his career against the Diamondbacks.

Mikolas missed all of the 2020 season with a flexor tendon injury, then missed all but nine starts last year with more forearm issues. He most recently logged seven scoreless innings against the New York Mets on Monday.

St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol is counting on Mikolas to be more in control of his pitches than veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright was in a 6-2 loss to Arizona on Friday.

Wainwright walked five batters and allowed four hits and three earned runs in six innings.

“All those walks scoring, that’s what got us — the free passes,” Marmol said. “We didn’t make them earn it today … it’s unfortunate but it’s baseball.”

Lovullo said he believes his team followed the same formula on Friday that earned St. Louis an 8-3 win to start the series Thursday.

The Cardinals manufactured runs with 15 hits — all of them singles — and aggressive baserunning that included a couple of stolen bases.

In Friday’s win, the Diamondbacks produced nine hits, three of them rally-generating doubles Ketel Marte, Pavin Smith and Daulton Varsho.

“The Cardinals came out and made a statement,” Lovullo said. “They ran the bases very aggressively, and I think we got sucker punched and it took us four or five innings to get into the flow of (Thursday’s) game.”

But the Diamondbacks bounced back on Friday.

“We executed situationally when we needed to give us a couple extra tack-on runs,” Lovullo said. “It was just a very, very good team win. There were so many good little things that happened inside of today’s game.”

The Diamondbacks placed right-handed closer Mark Melancon on the injured list before Friday’s game because of COVID-19 tracing.

Keynan Middleton, a right-hander who had a 1.17 ERA in seven appearances for Triple-A Reno, was recalled to replace Melancon.

Melancon is the second Arizona reliever in as many days to go on the injured list because of COVID-19 protocols.

–Field Level Media

Boston’s offense has been uncharacteristically quiet early this season, but the Red Sox could receive a boost with the return of designated hitter J.D. Martinez.

Martinez is hoping to be in the lineup when the Red Sox continue a three-game series against the host Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

The veteran slugger has missed six of Boston’s last nine games with left adductor tightness, but manager Alex Cora said Martinez could play Saturday and Sunday.

“Just one more day,” Cora said before Friday’s game. “He went out there and ran and felt it a little bit. Like always, we’re thinking here, 162-plus (games). One day that he takes today, probably, we’re going to see him close to 100 percent.”

Boston won for just the second time in its last seven games on Friday, when Christian Arroyo hit a two-run homer in a 3-1 victory.

Arroyo’s 408-foot blast snapped Boston’s six-game homerless streak, which marked the team’s longest stretch since April 2001.

The Red Sox recalled Franchy Cordero from Triple-A Worcester on Friday to replace Travis Shaw, who was designated for assignment. Cordero started at first base and went 0-for-4 while batting sixth.

Baltimore was limited to three hits before Ryan Mountcastle homered off Hansel Robles to lead off the ninth inning.

The Orioles have lost five straight but received a strong outing Friday from starter Kyle Bradish, 25, who allowed three runs (two earned) over six innings in his major league debut.

“He’s got quiet confidence,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “He just seemed like the moment wasn’t too big for him today. He seemed like it was another start. I’m sure it wasn’t, but he didn’t seem rattled by anything.”

Orioles third baseman Tyler Nevin was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk prior to Friday’s game and went 0-for-3 in his season debut.

Nevin could be in the lineup again Saturday versus Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 3.32 ERA). The right-hander received a no-decision after allowing two runs over a season-high seven innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

Eovaldi, 32, has yielded two earned runs or fewer in each of his first four starts, but he’s had problems keeping the ball in the park.

The Texas native has given up seven home runs in 21 2/3 innings after allowing just 15 in 182 1/3 innings last season.

“I’m trying to attack the zone,” Eovaldi said. “I’m going after the hitters and trying to get the batters out three pitches or less. The home runs are going to happen, but as long as I can keep them to solo shots, I’m OK with it.”

Austin Hays has six hits in 16 at-bats against Eovaldi, who is 7-2 with a 3.74 ERA in 15 career starts against Baltimore.

Orioles starter Spenser Watkins (0-0, 2.77) is seeking his first win of the season after giving up four runs (two earned) in his first three starts covering 13 innings.

The right-hander yielded two runs on three hits over five frames against the Los Angeles Angels this past Saturday. Both runs came on solo homers by Angels star Mike Trout.

Watkins, 29, is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in three career games (one start) against Boston.

–Field Level Media

The Miami Marlins have impressed Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais.

“They are athletic in the field,” he said. “But the name of the game for the Marlins is pitching. Very deep pitching staff. They are one of the most aggressive teams in the league throwing the breaking ball.

“We’ll have our work cut out for us.”

Servais said that before the Marlins beat the Mariners, 8-6, on Friday night in the opener of their three-game series in Miami.

Miami has now won six straight games, the Marlins’ longest streak since 2020. It’s also the longest active win streak in the National League.

“Pretty good night for our offense,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after Friday’s victory.

The Marlins will go for seven straight wins on Saturday night, when they will start lefty Jesus Luzardo (1-1, 3.71 ERA). He is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in four career appearances against the Mariners, striking out 19 in 10 2/3 innings. But he’s allowed three homers.

Seattle will counter with its own lefty, Robbie Ray (2-1, 3.91 ERA). Ray is 4-3 with a dominant 2.12 ERA in nine career appearances against the Marlins.

Ray, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, will try to snap Seattle’s three-game losing streak.

The Mariners, though, will likely be without DH Mitch Haniger, who suffered a high-ankle sprain to his right foot on Friday.

It was a tough break for Haniger, who had been activated Friday after missing 11 straight games due to COVID protocols.

Ray, who signed a five-year, $115 million contract with Seattle in November, went 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA last year for the Toronto Blue Jays.

This year, his strikeouts are way down — from 11.5 in 2021 to 6.4 this season. That could explain why his ERA is up by more than one run.

Still, Ray is an elite pitcher with a terrific fastball-slider combination. It will be interesting to see if the Marlins start all three of their lefty-hitting stars against him.

That would be second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who tripled on Friday and is batting .293; third baseman Joey Wendle, who is hitting .304; and center fielder Jesus Sanchez, who is batting .286 after adding two RBIs and a diving catch to his ledger on Friday.

Miami’s eight runs on Friday marked its third-highest scoring game of the season.

The Marlins still have some slumping veteran hitters who may be starting to awaken. Left fielder Jorge Soler, who mashed a 468-foot homer on Friday, is hitting .178.

Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas also homered on Friday. He’s batting .189.

Avisail Garcia doubled and is batting .190.

Lastly, first baseman Jesus Aguilar went 2-for-3 on Friday, raising his batting average to .226.

Last year, Aguilar slugged 22 runs and drove in 93 runs. Garcia hit 29 homers and drove in 86 runs. Soler hit 27 homers with 70 RBIs.

Rojas, more of a defensive force, is still a solid hitter and better than what he has shown so far this season. He hit .265 with nine homers and 48 RBIs last year.

–Field Level Media

Victor Robles, Josh Bell and Maikel Franco led a 22-hit assault with four hits apiece as the Washington Nationals got a measure of revenge for a three-game shellacking at home last weekend with a 14-4 destruction of the host San Francisco Giants on Friday.

Alcides Escobar and Cesar Hernandez each added three hits and Juan Soto homered for the Nationals, who snapped an eight-game losing streak. The Giants took their second loss in a row after winning five straight.

In a matchup of two guys who started for the Giants last season, Aaron Sanchez (1-1) outdueled Alex Wood (2-1), limiting San Francisco to three runs on six hits in five innings. He struck out four without walking anyone.

Wood left a competitive 5-3 game after five innings, charged with five runs and eight hits. He walked one and struck out three.

The Nationals, who were outscored 24-6 in their sweep at the hands of the Giants last week, broke this one open with a four-run sixth that featured RBI singles by Hernandez, Soto and Bell.

Up 9-4, Washington tacked on five in the eighth. Robles contributed a two-run double to the uprising, which also included RBI singles by Franco, Lane Thomas and Escobar.

Soto’s homer, his fourth of the season, came on Wood’s ninth pitch of the game. The solo shot opened the scoring.

Robles finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs for the Nationals, whose 14 runs were their most since running up 18 against the Miami Marlins last July. The 22 hits were their most since they had 22 at Arizona last May.

Robles’ four hits matched a career high, set last August against the Miami Marlins. One of his hits was a seventh-inning bunt with Washington leading 9-3.

The Nationals got upset last weekend when the Giants’ Thairo Estrada ran the bases aggressively late in a blowout win.

The last time the Giants allowed 20 or more hits came when they yielded 21 to the Diamondbacks during an 18-2 loss in May 2019.

Jason Vosler had a two-run homer, his first long ball of the season, in the second inning to keep the Giants close early on.

San Francisco’s Wilmer Flores and Joey Bart recorded three hits apiece, with Bart belting his third homer of the season in the seventh. Austin Slater had two hits and two runs for the Giants.

–Field Level Media