Mets' eruption backs Manaea's gem vs. D-backs

PHOENIX -- For the better part of half an hour in the fifth inning on Tuesday, the Mets could do no wrong.

Already leading when they came to bat against Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt, New York opened the top of the fifth with five consecutive hits, including RBI singles from Francisco Alvarez and Mark Vientos. All five of those batters wound up crossing home. All told, the Mets sent a dozen men to the plate and scored six times.

If not an outright catharsis, the rally was at least a welcome reminder that the Mets can hang with anyone. Reputationally, Arizona entered this week as hot as the triple-digit temperatures hovering around its city. Winners of six in a row, the D-backs had sent a signal to the National League that they were not just favorites to lock up a Wild Card berth, but also strong candidates to secure home-field advantage in a Wild Card Series and perhaps even challenge the Dodgers for the NL West title.

The Mets’ 8-3 win in Tuesday’s series opener at Chase Field won’t change that narrative in one night. But it did provide further evidence that the Mets can still insert themselves into the thick of the playoff race -- not just hang around the fringes of it.

If not for the overwhelming success of his offense, starting pitcher Sean Manaea would have been the star of the night.

The left-hander allowed just one hit over the first six innings before cracking for a pair of homers in the seventh. Nonetheless, Manaea finished with his third double-digit strikeout game in his last six outings, producing a 4-1 record and a 2.87 ERA over that stretch.