New York Mets’ Starling Marte is greeted by teammates after hitting a three-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
PHOENIX (AP) — Max Scherzer gave up three homers, all solo shots. New York hit three homers, just one solo shot.
The difference in dingers allowed the Mets to extend a rare win streak during a difficult season.
Starling Marte hit a three-run homer, Scherzer struck out nine to remain undefeated in 10 straight starts and New York beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-5 on Tuesday.
“This game came down to home runs,” Scherzer said. “I gave up solo shots and we had a three-run shot and a two-run shot. It goes back to my theme: Solo home runs won’t hurt you.”
Scherzer (8-2) gave up homers to Corbin Carroll, Cristian Walker, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. while walking in another run in six innings. The Mets made the most of their long balls to help the right-hander win his sixth straight decision.
Marte hit his fifth homer of the season off Diamondbacks starter Zach Davies in the fourth inning and Brandon Nimmo added a solo shot in the fifth.
Francisco Alvarez hit a 467-foot, two-run homer off Miguel Castro (4-3) in the seventh inning to break Travis D’Arnaud’s single-season team record by a rookie catcher set in 2014.
That put the Mets up 6-4 and they tacked on two more runs — not on homers — to win three straight for the first time in a month.
“This team knows that’s what we’re capable of doing,” Alvarez said through an interpreter. “We can do that more and more.”
The Diamondbacks made it interesting late, leading the bases against Drew Smith in the ninth. Arizona pulled within 8-5 on a walk, but David Robertson got Gurriel to hit into a fielder’s choice for his 12th save.
“We grinded through it,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “We were a swing away from tying the game, a swing away from winning the…
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