NEW YORK -- Following the D-backs’ nailbiter victory over the Mets the previous night, manager Torey Lovullo raved about the bullpen’s ability to string together outs behind Zach Davies’ truncated start to sweat out a win. It was a true “grind it out” win, the type of game that’s bound to appear in the middle of Arizona's National League Wild Card push.

What the team doesn't want to do is make a habit of these sorts of battles -- especially when bullpen management becomes even more important down the stretch. And in the D-backs' 7-4 loss to the Mets on Tuesday at Citi Field, it was the second consecutive night in which an Arizona starter was unable to make it through the fifth inning. Right-hander Ryne Nelson only lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits, with two of them going for loud two-run homers.

• Games remaining: at NYM (2), vs. CHC (3), vs. SF (2), at NYY (3), at CWS (3), vs. HOU (3)
• Standings update: The D-backs (76-70) hold the No. 3 Wild Card spot. They are one game ahead of the Reds (75-71) and 1 1/2 games ahead of the Giants (74-71) and Marlins (74-71). The D-backs trail the Cubs by two games for the No. 2 spot.

The D-backs had a chance to claw their way back in the eighth inning, cutting their deficit to two runs after a hit-by-pitch and a walk with the bases loaded, setting up Corbin Carroll to deliver a signature clutch moment. The likely National League Rookie of the Year grounded into an inning-ending double play, dashing Arizona’s comeback hopes.

“I thought it was a really good situation for us,” Lovullo said. “We had the very top of the lineup coming up with the bases loaded and one out. And we just didn’t execute. We didn’t close the gap like I thought we would.”

Nelson, who made his second start since being recalled from Triple-A Reno, ran into trouble with hard contact, giving up three hits with an exit velocity of more than 110 mph. Before the game, Lovullo acknowledged that Davies' downfall last night was a lack of execution in necessary moments. Nelson seemed to be snakebitten with a similar issue, leaving belt-high four-seam fastballs over the middle of the plate to two of the Mets’ most dangerous hitters, Pete Alonso and Ronny Mauricio.

Nelson was able to notch two scoreless frames to open the game, navigating two walks and a hit to keep the score even. The issues came in innings three, four and five, and on Nelson’s fastball, which he threw for 57 percent of his 84 pitches. Each run-scoring plate appearance against Nelson ended with a fastball -- the two homers and Francisco Lindor’s sacrifice fly and RBI single. Mets batters offered at 28 four-seamers from Nelson, and they only whiffed on four of them.

“From where I was, it looked like [Nelson] became more one-dimensional late in the game,” Lovullo said. “I think he relied heavily on his fastball. … When you make a mistake to certain hitters, they’re going to make you pay for it.”

From Nelson’s point of view, the ill-timed clunker boiled down to unfortunate moments of imprecise execution. 

“I felt pretty good through three [innings], and then some pitches I wish I could take back,” Nelson said. “There was not good enough execution on a couple of them. … If I execute a couple of sliders earlier in those at-bats, [the fastball] plays a little better. I think it was a couple of predictable fastballs.”

The D-backs were unable to pull themselves out of the early hole, instead buried by missed opportunities with traffic on the basepaths. They went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position, leaving nine on base -- the majority of which came in the sixth and eighth innings, when Evan Longoria and Carroll, respectively, came up with the bases loaded and one out with a chance to play the hero. 

Both times, they grounded into double plays. The D-backs entered Tuesday batting .248 with runners in scoring position, which ranked 21st in the Majors.

“They were ready to fire. I think Corbin hit the ball hard enough, just hit it right to the guys,” Lovullo said. “We got to be a little bit more stubborn in some very key situations. With men in scoring position, we expect to execute at a very high level.

“We were engaged. I felt like we created traffic and some opportunities, we just have to take advantage.”