Mets unload on De La Rosa in the 7th to break open game
May 20, 2018, 12:54 PM | Updated: 2:30 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jorge De La Rosa (29) reacts as New York Mets' Asdrubal Cabrera runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, May 20, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets were stalemated 1-1 until the 7th inning on Sunday when pinch-hitter Asdrubal Cabrera and shortstop Amed Rosario blasted back-to-back homeruns off veteran D-back reliever Jorge De La Rosa.
De La Rosa, a 37-year-old from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, was known as a lefty specialist. Lefties were 1-for-21 against him coming into the day and that trend continued.
De La Rosa struck out left-handed first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to start the seventh inning and forced a ground out by left handed second baseman Luis Guillorme as he attempted to bunt his way on base.
From there, things unraveled. Right-handed catcher Tomas Nido poked through a seeing-eye single up the middle and was driven home on Cabrera’s bomb.
The Mets strung together four straight hits, including the back-to-back homers (also both by righties), until De La Rosa struck out outfielder Jay Bruce to end the inning. The Mets finished the inning with a 4-1 lead, the team’s first lead in the ballgame.
De La Rosa labored through 22 pitches in the inning, 17 of them for strikes. His ERA ballooned from 2.35 to 3.86 after the game.
