Game #115: Mets 9, Diamondbacks 5

New York is used to power pitching, but today they got power from the other side of the plate.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Home runs by Andrew Brown and Wilmer Flores backed Jonathon Niese's solid return as the Mets took the series from the D'backs 9-5.

The Good Stuff:

• Jonathon Niese returned to the mound after his DL stint and was relatively solid for six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five on 83 pitches.
• The Mets got four unearned runs in the top of the 1st when Paul Goldschmidt mishandled Mike Baxter's (he's back?) hard groundball with the bases loaded. Another run went on the board in the 3rd when Omar Quintanilla singled home Ike Davis (Baxter was thrown out at the plate on the same play).
• The deciding runs came in the 7th inning when Andrew Brown smashed a pinch-hit three-run homer that made it 8-4.
• Wilmer Flores added one more run in the 9th with his first career home run, a solo shot to opposite field that resulted in the ninth RBI of his week-old career.

The Bad Stuff:

• Eric Young struggled once again at the plate, going 0-4. He had but one hit in the entire Arizona series and is only batting .182 in his last 10 games.

Final Analysis:
It's good to see Jonathon Niese back on the mound. He won't be able to get away with four runs every game, but I think a bit of leeway can be given in this, his first major league start in nearly two months.

Wilmer Flores looks awfully good at the plate, and he's going to make Terry Collins's job hard when David Wright comes back, as Flores can be easily put at first base.

A 5-1 record and series wins against two thorny NL West rivals - I'd say that's a good week to be a Mets fan. Hopefully the West Coast magic can continue in Los Angeles and San Diego this week.

MM

Game #114: Mets 4, Diamondbacks 1

The only thing that dried up for New York in the desert tonight was Zack Wheeler's biggest weakness.

(NYDailyNews.com)

Wheeler went 6.1 innings without walking anyone, his first walkless major league start, and the Mets offense was paced by Wilmer Flores to the tune of a 4-1 victory over the D'Backs.

The Good Stuff:

• Zack Wheeler continues to improve on the mound, as he allowed one run on six hits in 6.1 innings without allowing a walk, striking out four on 106 pitches.
• Juan Lagares got the scoring going with an opposite-field solo homer in the 4th inning. He finished the day 2-5 with another run and a stolen base.
• Wilmer Flores drove in another run in the 4th, singling home Ike Davis (after Ike's double) to make it 2-0. Later on, in the 8th, Flores again came through with a two-out, two-run single to give the NY bullpen a much-needed cushion.
• After Wheeler's departure, Scott Rice managed his way through the rest of the 7th unharmed, while Carlos Torres and Pedro Feliciano combined for a scoreless 8th and LaTroy Hawkins took care of the 9th for his third save.

The Bad Stuff:

• Uhh...the Arizona air is bad for chapped lips?

Final Analysis:
The Mets' youth movement keeps shining on in August, as Zack Wheeler, Wilmer Flores, and Juan Lagares led the team to bounce back from its tough loss last night. There isn't much else to be said, except Mets fans should be very excited for the next few years.

MM