PHOENIX (AP) - When the Arizona Diamondbacks made a mistake on the bases, they ended up stealing home.
That’s how things are going for the New York Mets these days.
Paul Goldschmidt stole home when New York botched a rundown, and Yasmany Tomas hit another home run against the reeling Mets to help Arizona hang on for a 5-4 victory Tuesday night.
Tomas has gone deep in five consecutive meetings with the Mets, who matched a season high with their sixth straight defeat.
“Nice to see Yaz hit a couple of balls very hard to the right side of the diamond. The one ball exploded off his bat when he hit a home run,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said.
Gregor Blanco had a two-run single for the Diamondbacks, now 6-1 in their last seven games against New York. Of their 23 wins this season, 17 have come at home.
A four-run third inning gave the Diamondbacks a 4-1 lead before Tomas homered into the pool in right field in the sixth to make it 5-2. The solo shot loomed large when Rene Rivera hit a two-run homer in the seventh off ace Zack Greinke to cut the margin to one.
Greinke (5-2) allowed four runs and five hits while striking out eight in 6 2/3 innings to beat the Mets for the fifth straight time. He got help from relievers Andrew Chafin, Archie Bradley and Fernando Rodney, who combined to hold New York hitless the rest of the way.
Rodney worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save.
“Flawless defense, scored five runs. That took care of most everything,” Greinke said.
Tommy Milone (1-1) lasted 5 2/3 innings in his second start for the Mets. He gave up five runs and six hits.
Slumping outfielder Curtis Granderson homered and had two RBIs for New York.
“It’s what we’re going through right now,” manager Terry Collins said. “When things aren’t going good, nothing goes good.”
The Mets took advantage of uncharacteristic wildness from Greinke in the second when he walked Rivera and Granderson to force in a run.
The Diamondbacks took the lead with four runs off Milone in the third. Blanco singled in two with one out, and after Goldschmidt was intentionally walked with two outs, Chris Owings made the Mets pay with an RBI single.
The Mets messed up a rundown when they had Owings hung up between first and second. First baseman Lucas Duda’s throw home to try to get Goldschmidt breaking from third bounced away from Rivera.
“It was a mix-up between the coaches. I don’t want to sound like we were geniuses. That was not the play,” Lovullo said. “It was blind luck. That is not how we run it. We got lucky.”
Goldschmidt was credited with stealing home, and his run made it 4-1. New York has allowed at least four runs in an inning in six straight games.
“Seeing C.O. (Owings) stop right there and knowing there was two outs, you have to take at least some bit of a chance to try to get to home,” Goldschmidt said.
Duda said he has not been playing well for a week.
“I think it boils down to, I just made a poor throw. I’ve got to make a better throw. That’s on me,” he said. “I’ve got to clean it up.”
Granderson entered hitting .148 and batted eighth for the first time since 2011. He hit a solo homer in the fifth.
Tomas, who connected for the second straight night, has eight home runs this season. He has six homers and 14 RBIs in 11 career games against the Mets.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: SS Asdrubal Cabrera was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained left thumb, retroactive to Sunday. “I like to play. I like to be there. But it’s something that I don’t feel like I can help the team like that,” Cabrera said. “The best idea for the team and for me is to try to be 100 percent.” … LHP Steven Matz (elbow inflammation) and RHP Seth Lugo (elbow inflammation) are scheduled to pitch Thursday for Class A St. Lucie.
Diamondbacks: OF David Peralta pinch hit for the second consecutive night. He has been out of the starting lineup for two days due to glute tightness.
UP NEXT
Mets: In the series finale Wednesday afternoon, RHP Matt Harvey returns to the mound where he made his major league debut in July 2012. Harvey (2-3, 5.62 ERA) has lost three straight outings but is 3-1 in four career starts against Arizona. “The critical part is getting Matt Harvey going, make no mistake about it,” Collins said. “We come out of tomorrow’s game and we’re excited about what we see out of Matt Harvey, we’ll take it.”
Diamondbacks: LHP Patrick Corbin (3-4, 4.17) is 3-1 in five home starts this season but 0-3 in his career against the Mets.
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