Hellickson, Pollock lead Diamondbacks to 7-2 win over Mets
PHOENIX (AP) Jeremy Hellickson and A.J. Pollock are on quite a roll for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Hellickson threw six strong innings for his fourth straight win in the Diamondbacks' 7-2 victory over the New York Mets on Friday night.
Pollock had three hits, two of them doubles. He drove in two runs and scored twice. The center fielder has 30 hits in his last 70 at-bats to raise his average to .330.
''Some days you get your hits, some days you don't,'' Pollock said. ''I'm not going to think too much about it. I'm just going to go up with the same approach and whatever happens, happens.''
Arizona trailed 2-1 through five innings. Paul Goldschmidt singled home Pollock with the tying run in the sixth and scored the go-ahead run from first when Yasmany Tomas doubled down the left-field line. Arizona broke it open with four runs in the eighth.
Hellickson (4-3) allowed two runs, one on Michael Cuddyer's homer. The right-hander gave up six hits, striking out six and walking three. He was 0-3 after his first four starts, but in his last four outings he's allowed three runs once and two on the other three occasions.
''Command's definitely been a big part of it,'' Hellickson said. ''I'm just not making as many mistakes with the fastball as I was earlier in the year.''
The Mets, who dropped out of first place in the NL East again after a one-day return, wasted a better outing by Jonathon Niese, who was 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA in his previous four starts. Niese (3-6) went six innings, giving up three runs and six hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
''It is a step in the right direction,'' he said. ''I felt really good. I felt mechanically I was pretty sound today. I made some good pitches. Unfortunately at the end they made the adjustment and put some good swings on pretty good pitches and came out on top.''
Eric Campbell snapped an 0-for-28 skid with an RBI single that put New York up 2-1 in the fourth. The hit scored Wilmer Flores, who had doubled down the left-field line.
In the Arizona eighth, right fielder Curtis Granderson couldn't hold on to make a diving catch of Ender Inciarte's leadoff triple. Pollock followed with an RBI single.
Cuddyer's sixth home run of the season, a shot to left, put the Mets up 1-0 in the second inning. Pollock tied it with an RBI infield single in the third.
Tomas, making his first outfield appearance of the season, saved at least one run with a running stab of Anthony Recker's sharp liner to right in the fourth.
In his Arizona debut, catcher Welington Castillo - acquired in the trade that sent Mark Trumbo to Seattle - struck out four times.
No Met reached base after the fifth.
LEAKY ROOF
A downpour during the game caused the Chase Field roof to leak, resulting in a steady drip on the mound.
''I am looking at the signs and water is dripping right in front of me,'' Niese said. ''If I noticed it, I am sure the hitters were noticing it. There was kind of a big puddle on the mound. It kind of collected water on the mound. All of a sudden I felt some drops on my arm.''
The leaks also created a puddle in front of the backstop, and a few fans in the nearby seats had to move. The roof, built mainly to keep out the heat, has leaked in the same area during severe rain in the past.
''They left the faucet on,'' Arizona reliever Daniel Hudson said.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mets: 2B-3B Daniel Murphy was placed on the 15-day DL with a left quad strain, and INF Danny Muno was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. Murphy is the 14th Mets player to go on the DL this season. ... Rookie C Kevin Plawecki was out with a virus. He is day to day.
Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin, coming off Tommy John surgery, will make a rehab start Monday for Class A Visalia. ... C Tuffy Gosewisch underwent surgery to repair a torn left ACL.
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Bartolo Colon (8-3, 4.72 ERA), tied for the major league lead in wins, faces Arizona in the third game of the four-game series Saturday.
Diamondbacks: RHP Chase Anderson (1-1, 3.26) seeks his second win in 11 starts this season.
