D-backs burnt by 2 pitches: 'The beauty and the curse of baseball'

PHOENIX -- Poised for a shutout win against one of baseball’s most electric pitchers, the D-backs’ fortunes at home Wednesday night changed on two pitches.

The NL West leaders had the Mets down to their last strike with two outs in the top of the ninth. Catcher Carson Kelly couldn’t hang on to what would have been a game-ending foul tip, and that was all New York’s Francisco Alvarez needed.

Alvarez sent the very next pitch deep to right-center for his 15th home run of the season to squander the home club's one-run lead and set the stage for the Mets' dramatic come-from-behind 2-1 win over the D-backs at Chase Field.

The D-backs will now have to eke out a win in Thursday's finale to avoid being on the wrong side of a sweep for the first time this season.

“That’s just the beauty and the curse of baseball. You can’t dribble out the clock in baseball,” said Arizona starter Tommy Henry, who sparkled in six scoreless innings.

• Q&A with D-backs pitcher Tommy Henry

Mets starter Kodai Senga was equally effective, spreading 12 strikeouts over eight innings in which he allowed one run on four hits. The right-hander at times went to his patented "ghost forkball" to keep Arizona batters off balance, until first baseman Christian Walker snapped the scoreless tie with a booming homer 434 feet up the left-field bleachers in the bottom of the seventh.

It was Walker’s 18th homer on the season and second in two days.

“I saw all cutters from him tonight. It was the only pitch I saw,” Walker said of Senga. “Some were 88 [mph] and some were 94. He threw me one that went straight down, he threw some side to side, but they were all cutters.”

After Henry did his part with 87 pitches, D-backs skipper Torey Lovullo turned things over to the bullpen.

Kyle Nelson and Scott McGough combined for two shutout innings after Henry’s exit, striking out four and allowing one walk and one hit.

Andrew Chafin came on in the ninth for the save attempt and registered two quick outs. Then came Alvarez’s second-chance homer, his second in two nights, followed by Mark Canha's go-ahead triple and a walk. All told, with two outs the Mets strung together a home run, a single, an RBI triple and a free pass.

Using four relievers after Henry's six frames wasn't ideal, but it was what the D-backs had to work with.

“I’d love if we had a lockdown Mariano Rivera-type guy in the bullpen, but we don’t, and we’ve got to find a way to mix and match it,” Lovullo said. “We’ll continue to do that. We’re gonna be fine. It’s just a matter of playing it out and getting every single one of those 27 outs.”

Henry liked what he got from his fastball all night, but not from every pitch in his arsenal.

“The curveball didn’t feel as sharp as it has been,” he said. “The command felt like it was fine. I felt like I could throw it in any count like I usually can, but it didn’t feel as sharp.”

Arizona fell to 8-20 when scoring three or fewer runs this season, but Walker’s solo home run did ensure the D-backs remained the only club to still not be shut out this season.