The Arizona Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets yesterday with a 5-3 win to help solidify the team's lead in the National League West.
The D-Backs now lead the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants by two games in the NL West with just over a month left in the regular season.
Arizona's final push for the playoffs will roll on without recently acquired pitcher Jason Marquis, who broke his right fibula in the third inning yesterday when New York outfielder Angel Pagan dinged a line drive off his shin. He's expected to be out for four to six weeks, which is a bummer for a team that once again has a hole in its starting rotation.
"I was put on a good position coming over here," Marquis, who was acquired
in a July 30 trade from the Washington Nationals, told reporters after the game. "I finally was getting the results I
had wanted to, so to finish on this note. Hopefully it's not the end."
Marquis tried to stick it out for another inning after getting smacked
with the line drive, but dropped to his knees after hitting New York
catcher Josh Thole with a pitch.
Justin Upton hit a 426-foot bomb to tie the game in the fifth. The
D-Backs put another run on the board thanks to a double by Henry Blanco
that drove in Paul Goldschmidt in the sixth.
Then it was the bullpen's turn.
Marquis' replacement, Zach Duke, was less than impressive when he took to the mound midway through the fourth inning.
Duke gave up two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings to give the Mets a 3-2 lead heading into the top of the fifth inning.
Duke was yanked after the sixth inning and replaced by right-handed
reliever Micah Owings, who gave up one hit in one inning pitched. In the
eighth, the D-Backs brought in Bryan Shaw, who held the Mets to
precisely zero hits in one inning pitched.
David Hernandez was summoned in the ninth to close out the game after
the D-Backs took a 5-3 lead in the eighth when New York reliever Ryota
Igarashi walked Blanco with the bases loaded.
Hernandez was flawless, giving up no hits and no walks to get the D-Backs the W.
Other notables from the D-Backs weekend series with the Mets: Ian
Kennedy tallied his 15th win with a 4-3 victory over the Mets on Friday,
and Ryan Roberts blasted a three-run homer to give the D-Backs a 6-4
win Saturday.
The D-Backs head to Philadelphia on Tuesday to face Roy Halladay and the Phillies. For more info, click here.
