Matt Koch, David Peralta power D-backs past New York Mets
Jun 14, 2018, 10:25 PM | Updated: Jun 15, 2018, 9:23 am
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Matt Koch throws to a New York Mets batter during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 14, 2018, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
PHOENIX — Matt Koch is not making it easy on the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With Shelby Miller and Robbie Ray due back soon, the D-backs are going to have to – eventually- create two vacancies within their starting rotation. The question then becomes who gets evicted.
Obviously, Koch would prefer it not be him.
Koch stated his case once again with a quality outing to help lead the D-backs past the New York Mets, 6-3, in the opener of the four-game series in front of an announced crowd of 23,300 at Chase Field on Thursday.
It was the D-backs’ sixth win in their last seven games, and it was Koch’s third win in his last four starts. He pitched six innings, allowing just three hits, though two of them were home runs. He walked one and struck out five.
Koch (5-3) surrendered home runs to Brandon Nimmo in the first and Michael Conforto in the sixth inning. The long ball has been a troublesome spot for Koch, who has now given up five in his last two starts.
Speaking of home runs, the D-backs hit four: David Peralta had two, while Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb each had one; and all were solo shots.
Peralta now has 14 home runs, matching his total from all of last season.
In addition to the home runs, Koch benefited from some excellent defense, particularly Chris Owings out in center field.
The win was the D-backs’ first against the Mets this season after getting swept last month in New York.
THE GOOD
Two pitches after Peralta was plunked on his right forearm by a 87.3 mph fastball, Ketel Marte made Jason Vargas and the Mets pay with a sharp single to left field to score John Ryan Murphy, who had led off the second inning with a walk. The play tied the game at one and marked Marte’s 15th RBI in his last 16 games.
In the season’s first 48 games, Goldschmidt had five home runs. He now has hit eight in his last 19 games. The eighth, a two-out, third-inning solo shot, gave the D-backs the lead, 2-1, and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Goldschmidt unloaded on a 3-1 fastball clocked at 86.6 mph and put the ball over the left-field fence.
From home to third, Peralta ran full-speed and then jogged the last 90-feet after a brief meeting between the four umpires confirmed the obvious: The ball hit well above the yellow line along the batter’s eye in straightaway center field. The fourth-inning solo shot—on a 1-1 fastball clocked at 85 mph—made it 3-1 D-backs.
Four innings later, Peralta made sure he could jog around the bases. He crushed a 3-2 fastball clocked at 96.9 mph from Jacob Rhame well over the right-field fence for a solo home run, making it 5-3 D-backs. It marked Peralta’s second career multi-homer game; first accomplished earlier this season, April 28 at Washington.
It’s been a good first homestand as a D-back for John Jay. With two more hits Thursday, Jay, who went 2-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, is now 7-for-12 with five RBI and five runs scored in four games. Overall, he’s hitting .348 (56-for-161) in his last 40 games since May. Jay was acquired from the Royals on June 6.
THE BAD
After two quick outs in the first inning, Nimmo greeted Koch’s 14th pitch—a 1-1 fastball clocked at 92.8 mph—and put it over the right-field fence, just out of the glove-reach of Jay, for a home run. For Nimmo, it was his ninth homer of the season, extending his career-high mark. By the way, the Mets have hit 19 home runs in their last 19 games with 14 of those being solo shots.
Make that 20 home runs in their last 19 games with 15 of those being solo shots. What changed? A sixth-inning leadoff homer by Conforto that brought the Mets to within 3-2. For Conforto, it was his eighth home run of the season. He ripped an 0-1 changeup over the left-center field fence. Conforto has been a thorn in the D-backs’ side this season, going 6-for-14 with two home runs and five RBI in four games.
So much for Archie Bradley’s nine-game scoreless streak, which covered 7.1 innings. It ended in the eighth inning. And it ended quickly. Amed Rosario led off the frame with a solo home run, hitting a 1-2 curveball, that just did clear the fence in left field. It was his fourth homer of the season, three of which have come against the D-backs. Bradley has now allowed four home runs this season.
STAT OF THE GAME
4.09: Koch’s ERA this season, which ranks third-best (behind Patrick Corbin and Zack Greinke) among D-backs pitchers with at least 10 starts
HE SAID IT
“Pretty well played game from start to finish,” Torey Lovullo said. “It’s the way you think about things before the game. You project six innings (from the starter) and turn it over to your bullpen and get timely hitting. We had runners on base all day. We hit four home runs. It was a nice team win.”
NOTED
Koch threw a first-pitch strike to 14-of-22 batters faced; in addition, he reached a 3-ball count four times
Goldschmidt went 1-for-4 and is batting .512 (21-for-41) during this season-long 10-game hitting streak
Marte went 1-for-3 with a walk and is batting .385 (20-for-52) with four walks and 15 RBI in his last 16 games
Peralta went 2-for-3 and is batting .358 (19-for-53) with seven home runs and 15 RBI in his last 13 games
Yoshihisa Hirano pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning to extend his scoreless streak to 15.2 innings (18 games)
With a first-pitch temperature of 106 degrees, the game was played with both the roof and panels closed
It was Throwback Thursday; team wore home white uniforms from 2002, honoring the NL West champions
Players from the 2002: Mike Fetters, Randy Johnson and Brett Prinz, all threw out ceremonial first pitches
UP NEXT
A pair of right-handers: Zack Godley and Seth Lugo, take the mound in game two of the four-game series on Friday, June 15. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 with pregame coverage beginning 40 minutes earlier on 98.7 FM, Arizona’s Sports Station.
Godley (6-5) is coming off a road win at Colorado, though he once again failed to complete six innings, something that’s now happened in three of his last four starts.
This will be Godley’s first home start of the month. He’s pitched well at Chase Field this season. Over five starts, he’s 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA (10 ER in 30.2 IP), 29 strikeouts, eight walks and .248 opponents average.
Godley lost his outing against the Mets earlier this season—three runs allowed, one earned, in six innings—and is 1-2 in five games, including four starts, when facing the team from New York.
Meanwhile, Lugo (2-1) is making just his third start of the season.
A bullpen arm for much of the season, Lugo was inserted into the rotation due to injuries. And he’s pitched well, 10 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. Most recently, he blanked the Yankees for six innings, striking out eight to earn a 2-0 win.
