Mets 4 - 6 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

Pelfrey takes aim at another victory over D-Backs

Aug 13, 2011 - 2:39 PM

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(Sports Network) - It took a while, but New York starter Mike Pelfrey finally found the win column against Arizona back on April 22. He'll aim to make it two in a row this evening in the middle portion of a three-game set between the Mets and Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Pelfrey had lost his first five career decisions to the Diamondbacks before pitching seven innings of one-run ball back in April. That lowered his career earned run average in this series to 5.82 in eight starts.

Pelfrey is 1-0 over his past four starts overall after enduring a 1-5 stretch from June 24-July 17, but the righty posted his second straight no-decision on Monday. Facing the Padres, he allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks over 6 1/3 innings of his team's 9-8 win, lasting longer than six frames for just the second time in nine starts.

The 27-year-old is 6-9 with a 4.53 ERA in 24 starts, already matching his loss total from a season ago, and owns a 5.35 ERA in 14 road games in 2011.

He'll try to get the Mets even in this series after the Diamondbacks edged by with a 4-3 win last night. Justin Upton hit a solo homer and Ian Kennedy gave up a run over seven innings to run his career-high winning streak to seven straight starts.

"It helps, especially by the second inning you're up 4-0 and you know you can just be aggressive," Kennedy said about getting an early lead. "It makes it more challenging because you know you have that lead and can just go after guys."

Kennedy won his 15th game of the season and J.J. Putz held on for his 28th save despite allowing a run in the ninth.

Arizona's fourth straight win, one that extended its lead over San Francisco for first place in the National League West to two games, did come at a cost as outfielder Xavier Nady fractured his left hand after getting hit by a pitch in the second inning and could miss an extended period of time.

Dillon Gee, who hit Nady, gave up four runs on five hits over five innings to take the loss.

"I made a couple of mistakes early in the game that really cost me, but really I felt pretty good," said Gee. "Especially the last four innings I was feeling pretty good and hopefully this is something I can take into my next start."

Jason Bay had three hits, an RBI and a run scored in the Mets' third straight defeat.

Diamondbacks hurler Daniel Hudson will look to rebound from a rough outing last time out, when he was tagged for seven runs -- four earned -- on 11 hits over just three innings in a 9-1 defeat to the Astros. It was Hudson's third loss in four games, dropping him to 11-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 24 starts this year.

"I've got to give Houston credit, they swung the bats well," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "Daniel missed some of his pitches."

The 24-year-old righty posted the brutal outing just six days after a big win over the Giants in which he held the division rivals to a run in eight frames of work.

Hudson has faced the Mets just once in his career and got a win, yielding a run on three hits over eight innings on Aug. 1 of last year.

New York swept that three-game set at home earlier this year after losing five of six to Arizona a season ago.






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