NEW YORK -- Music once again played postgame in the D-backs’ clubhouse after silence during their five-game losing streak, and there were plenty of smiles to go around following their 10-5 win over the Mets on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field.
These were the two biggest moments in the game.
1. Randal Grichuk makes a huge play in the first inning
After the D-backs were kept scoreless in the top of the first inning, the Mets came out swinging in the bottom half against Slade Cecconi, who was making the start after Arizona recalled him from Triple-A Reno the day before.
Francisco Lindor smacked a drive to right that hit off the top of the outfield wall. It left the bat at 107.8 mph and would have been a homer in seven Major League parks, but in Citi Field on this day it hit the padding, bounced once and went right into Grichuk’s glove.
Grichuk whirled and threw a strike to second where Lindor was out by 10 feet.
“I think it spoke volumes about our readiness defensively,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “I think that was emotionally a big lift for Slade to get an out there, and he kind of got things going in the right direction after that first inning. So I think it was a big moment for Slade and a big moment for this team.”
It certainly saved the D-backs a run because the next batter, Pete Alonso, drove a double off the wall in left.
Cecconi, though, settled in after that, escaping the inning unscathed and allowing just one run on a homer before being removed with two outs in the fifth.
“Man that was sick,” Cecconi said of Grichuk’s play. “I mean, you talk about just a load off your shoulders. Lindor smokes a double off the wall, and I'm thinking it's a homer. Next thing you know, he's not even sliding into second because he's out by so much. That's [Grichuk] picking me up. That was huge.”
2. Christian Walker delivers the big blow
The D-backs’ offensive struggles of late have been well-documented, but they hoped that their four-run outburst in the ninth inning against the Mets’ bullpen Friday night that made their loss a more respectable 10-9 one would carry over into Saturday’s game.
It didn’t seem like it through two innings, as Sean Manaea kept Arizona off the board in the first two innings.
One of the outs over that span was a strikeout swinging by Christian Walker that left the first baseman frustrated and cursing himself.
In the third, though, the D-backs loaded the bases against Manaea with two outs to bring Walker to the plate.
“I'm just trying to keep it simple there once we got to two outs,” Walker said. “At that point, I'm just trying to get a hit. [Manaea] did a good job of slipping the sinker inside of my hands my first at-bat, so I was trying to stay on the fastball. I tried to just stay in a good spot, tried to stay on the fastball and just reacted to something elevated in the zone.”
On the first pitch of the at-bat, Manaea threw a sweeper that was moving in on Walker, and he didn’t miss it, crushing it into the bleachers in left for a grand slam.
“Fortunately, it was something I could keep fair," Walker said.
You could almost hear the exhale in the visitors’ dugout as Walker circled the bases.
“I think the grand slam really gave us a lift emotionally,” Lovullo said. “We've been grinding so much through all of these types of games -- you know, limited runs. We’re trying, we’re practicing, working hard, and when you don't have the results and then you finally get something that goes your way, it's a big relief.”