Rays 2 - 1 Mariners
Final
  for this game

Mariners hope to reverse fortunes vs. Rays

Jun 4, 2015 - 11:08 AM (SportsNetwork.com) - Matt Harvey eyes his first win in more than a month on Thursday when the New York Mets open a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Harvey won his first five starts after missing all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, he's lost three decisions since, including his last two starts.

After getting banged around by Pittsburgh, Harvey was dealt the loss on Friday against Miami, as he allowed four runs and six hits in eight innings. He also struck out 11, but fell to 5-3 on the year to go along with a 3.11 ERA.

"Today obviously felt better, like I felt stronger and I was in control," said Harvey, who surrendered seven runs in four innings in his previous outing. "Nobody is more frustrated than I am over the past two outings."

Harvey won his only start in Arizona, as he held the D-backs scoreless over 5 1/3 frames.

Heading to the hill for Arizona on Thursday will be righty Jeremy Hellickson, who is 3-3 with a 5.08 ERA. Hellickson won his second straight start on Saturday in Milwaukee, as he held the Brewers to a pair of runs and five hits in six innings.

He has a 2-0 record and a 3.37 ERA over his last three outings.

"I'm feeling good," Hellickson said. "The first handful of starts, I'd fall behind in the count and have to throw a fastball and I couldn't command my offspeed early. I've been working on that hard in-between starts. The main thing is just feeling a lot better and keeping the ball down, for the most part."

Hellickson lost his only start to the Mets and was roughed up for eight runs in 3 2/3 innings of that one.

Arizona will try to stay in the win column on Thursday after taking two of three from Atlanta. In Wednesday's rubber match, Yasmany Tomas had three hits and two runs scored, and the Diamondbacks overcame an early deficit and rallied to a 9-8 win.

"The guys just kept fighting and battling," manager Chip Hale said. "You've just got to keep playing and we kept playing."

David Peralta had two RBI, A.J. Pollock homered and scored twice and seven different players drove in at least one run for Arizona, which trailed 6-0 in the second inning.

Rubby De La Rosa lasted five innings, yielding all seven Atlanta runs on nine hits. He also matched a season high with eight strikeouts. Andrew Chafin (4-0) picked up the win with a scoreless inning of relief.

New York, meanwhile, has lost two in a row after dropping the final two games of their three-game series with the San Diego Padres, including a 7-3 setback in Wednesday's finale.

Dillon Gee (0-3) returned from a groin injury which cost him a month, but was tagged for seven runs -- four earned -- on eight hits over four-plus frames.

"I just had a bad night. They squared up a lot of balls," Gee admitted. "Everything that was in the middle of the plate got hit."

The Mets were 4-2 versus the D-backs last season.






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