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PHOENIX — It took until the 10th inning for the Mets to ignite their celebration on Friday night.
After being limited to just two hits during the initial nine innings, the team burst to life in extra innings, securing a 3-1 triumph over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Key contributions came from Mark Vientos and Carson Benge, who each knocked in runs with doubles in the 10th inning, while Tobias Myers sealed the win by securing the final outs. This victory marked the Mets’ fifth win in seven games on their current road trip, bolstered by a solid start from Nolan McLean and strong bullpen support.
Vientos set the tone in the 10th inning with a double off Kevin Ginkel, driving in the automatic runner after having already hit a home run earlier. Benge, who was batting fifth for the first time in his major league career, extended the lead by doubling on a 1-2 slider.
McLean, bouncing back from his briefest outing of the season, delivered a strong performance, giving up just one earned run on three hits, one walk, and a hit batter across six innings. He struck out six and matched his season high with 100 pitches, a marked improvement after his four-inning stint against the Angels the previous Saturday.
He began the day tied for fourth among NL pitchers with 51 strikeouts, seventh in WHIP (0.94) and ninth in opposing batting average (.184).
Vientos’ third homer on the road trip gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the second. Vientos hammered a cutter from Ryne Nelson over the left field fence for his fifth homer this season. He hit two against the Angels on Sunday before going 1-for-12 in three games in Colorado.
Nolan Arenado took McLean deep on the second pitch in the bottom of the inning to tie it 1-1. The blast was the first allowed by McLean in his last three outings.
Francisco Alvarez singled leading off the third, but was left stranded as Bo Bichette’s shot to the right field fence was snagged on a jump by Corbin Carroll for the final out.
McLean plunked Carroll leading off the fourth before getting Adrian Del Castillo to ground into a double play and retiring Arenado.
In the fifth, McLean walked Gabriel Moreno with one out, but struck out Jose Fernandez and retired Jorge Barrosa to keep the game tied. The D’backs were without Ketel Marte — a late scratch because of illness — adding Fernandez to the lineup at second base.
Ildemaro Vargas’ single in the sixth was only the D’backs’ third hit against McLean. On his 95th pitch of the night, McLean retired Carroll before concluding his night by striking out Del Castillo.
Benge walked with two outs in the seventh, snapping a streak of 14 straight retired by Nelson following Alvarez’s single in the third. Juan Morrillo entered following the walk to Benge and got Marcus Semien to pop out on the first pitch.
Luke Weaver walked Moreno with two outs in the seventh and Fernandez singled, following a delay (Luis Torrens got smacked with a foul ball off the face mask and was examined). Weaver walked Barrosa to load the bases before retiring Perdomo to escape.
Brooks Raley got two fast outs in the eighth before allowing a single to Ryan Waldschmidt in his first major league at-bat. The lefty retired Arenado for the third out.