Mets 3 - 6 Diamondbacks
Final
  for this game

D-Backs down Mets

Jul 29, 2012 - 3:53 AM

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Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Ian Kennedy hurled 6 1/3 effective innings on Saturday and the Arizona Diamondbacks topped the New York Mets, 6-3, in the middle installment of a three-game series at Chase Field.

Kennedy (9-8) allowed three runs and scattered seven hits to go with nine strikeouts and a walk to earn his third straight win. J.J. Putz made it interesting in the ninth, but nailed down his 19th save of the season against his former team.

"Obviously, Ike (Davis) is swinging the bat really well right now, but Ian pitched really well and got us the win," remarked Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson.

Miguel Montero clubbed a two-run home run, Gerardo Parra went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Aaron Hill and Ryan Wheeler contributed RBI for the Diamondbacks, who have won seven of their last nine.

Ike Davis accounted for all the Mets' runs with three solo long balls in the team's 14th loss in 16 tries. New York continued on its crash course with the NL East basement, having stumbled to a 2-13 record since the All-Star break.

"It's bitter sweet for sure," Davis said of his stellar game at the plate. "It's always good to feel good at the plate, but the ultimate goal is to win the game and we didn't, so take it as a positive moving forward but obviously you want to win."

Chris Young (2-5) was saddled with the loss after allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts in four innings.

Arizona opened the scoring with a run in the first inning when Hill smoked a double to center, scoring Parra, but the Mets got the run right back in the second after Davis led off the frame with a towering shot to straightaway center for his second home run in as many nights.

The D-Backs took the lead with a pair of runs in the second. Montero got the inning started with a walk and came around to score on a double by Wheeler. Parra then singled in Wheeler to make it 3-1.

Davis struck again in the fourth when he got the best of Kennedy after an 11- pitch battle, launching a fastball over the wall in center, pulling the Mets within one.

The D-Backs extended their lead to 6-2 in the home portion of the fourth. Upton started the rally with a single up the middle and Montero brought him home with a shot over the wall in right for his 11th homer of the season. Parra knocked home Wheeler later in the inning, providing the snakes a four- run cushion.

Davis went deep again, leading off the sixth by crushing a hanging curveball for his third bomb of the night and pulling the Mets to within 6-3.

Facing David Hernandez in the eighth, the Mets got their first two men on base via a walk to Wright and a single by Davis. Hernandez battled back though, and induced Daniel Murphy into a 400-foot fly out to center before fanning Jason Bay and Kirk Nieuwenhuis to keep the lead intact.

Putz got Josh Thole to fly out for the first out of the ninth, but Andres Torres reached first on a dropped third strike and Ruben Tejada singled. Pinch-hitter Scott Hairston fanned and Wright came up as the potential tying run, but struck out on a nasty back-leg breaking ball to end the game.

Game Notes

The Mets are 5-17 in July after posting winning months in April (13-10), May (15-10) and June (15-13)...Davis is the 9th Met to hit three home runs in one game. The last player to account for all his team's runs with three solo shots was Steve Finley for the D-Backs on April 28, 2004 against the Chicago Cubs.






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