This felt like a game the D-backs were going to win.

Not only did they have ace Zac Gallen on the mound, but Mets starter David Peterson spotted them a three-run lead in the second inning when he forced home three runs by hitting a batter and walking back-to-back guys with the bases loaded.

The D-backs tacked on a run in the third but then … nothing.

They got runners on base, plenty of them. Getting them home was another matter.

"I felt like we controlled this game for most of the innings," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said.

That may have been true, but the only thing that mattered was that the Mets got the win, 5-4, thanks to a walk-off fielder's choice dribbler in the bottom of the 10th on Friday night at Citi Field.

The D-backs finished the night 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and they stranded 13 runners. Including the three-game set with the Marlins, the D-backs have left 41 runners on base over their last four games and are a combined 3-for-44 with runners in scoring position.

"We built a lot of innings and unfortunately we could not get that big hit to break this game wide open," Lovullo said. "In those crucial situations, I felt like we hit some balls hard. I’m going to remember those. And continue to encourage that type of an approach. But then there were some that we didn’t. We’re going to teach up these guys tomorrow and make sure they come out ready to go and take advantage of those situations the next time they occur."

Prior to this four-game losing streak, the D-backs had been red hot going 11-5 with their offense coming through in the clutch.

In winning three of four against the Rockies prior to this road trip, the D-backs were 10-for-34 with runners in scoring position.

Things turn around in a hurry in baseball.

"It changes," shortstop Nick Ahmed said. "It's a long season. You can't stay hot and score six, seven, eight runs a game the whole season. You know, hopefully we'll get back to doing that soon, but the game goes in swells. We put up runs early today, but we didn't put the pressure on them and continue to add on. That's part of the reason why we lost the game tonight. So we're just going to come out and try to score early tomorrow, get guys on base and when we do get those guys in scoring position, just keep things simple and execute our plan."

The biggest challenge for the D-backs in recent years has come from trying to keep situations like this from spiraling.

In 2018 and 2019, they were unable to pull out of late-season slumps that cost them a chance at the postseason. Last year, they had a stretch where they lost 18 of 20 games.

That's one of the reasons why Lovullo is so quick to point out the positives with his hitters. When they start to press, it can get out of control.

"I just think at times, the most crucial times of the at-bat, in this recent stretch, we might be going out of the zone, might have a little bit of chase and we’re not allowing the pitcher to kind of back himself into the next pitch," Lovullo said. "It’s a hard thing to do, hitting with men in scoring position. But I believe in these guys enough to know that if they continue to apply this pressure, if they continue to squeeze the pitcher into a situation where he has to pay the fiddler across the zone, then we’re going to do some damage."