Mets 5, Diamondbacks 3
NEW YORK -- Left fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis became the first New York Mets player in the franchise's 54-season history to hit three homers in a home game Sunday afternoon, when his unexpected power surge lifted the Mets to a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field.
The Mets (47-42) swept the three-game series and finished the first half with four straight wins to hit the All-Star break with a winning record for the first time since 2012. The Diamondbacks (42-45) were swept for the first time since losing three straight to the Los Angeles Dodgers from June 8-10.
Nieuwenhuis, who entered the game hitting .106 with no homers and three RBIs in 66 at-bats in games between the Mets and the Los Angeles Angels, homered to left off Diamondbacks right-hander Rubby De La Rosa leading off the second to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.
He hit a two-run, two-out homer to left-center off De La Rosa in the third inning to extend the Mets' lead to 4-1 and blasted a leadoff homer off right-hander Randall Delgado in the fifth inning to put New York ahead 5-2.
He received a curtain call after his third homer and was showered with applause while warming up in left field prior to the top of the sixth.
Nieuwenhuis led off the seventh inning with a chance to become only the 17th player in major-league history to hit four homers in a game, but he struck out on four pitches against left-hander Andrew Chafin.
Nieuwenhuis is the 10th Mets player to hit three homers in a game and the first since Ike Davis did it on July 28, 2012. Suffice to say he's also the unlikeliest Met to ever achieve the feat.
Entering Sunday, Nieuwenhuis had hit just 13 big league homers in 555 at-bats and only three homers in 203 plate appearances dating back to the start of the 2014 season.
His Mets career appeared to end on May 19, when he was designated for assignment after hitting .079 with 17 strikeouts in his first 38 at-bats. He was traded to the Angels for cash considerations eight days later and hit .136 in 22 at-bats for Los Angeles before he was claimed by the Mets off waivers on June 13. The Mets outrighted him to Triple-A Las Vegas two days later and recalled him last Monday.
Third baseman Daniel Murphy hit a solo homer for the Mets. Left-hander Jonathon Niese (5-8) earned the win after allowing three runs on five hits and no walks while striking out three over 6 2/3 innings. Right-hander Jeurys Familia earned his 27th save with a hitless ninth.
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt homered for the Diamondbacks, while left fielder David Peralta had an RBI single and shortstop Nick Ahmed delivered an RBI groundout.
De La Rosa (6-5) allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out two over 3 2/3 innings.
NOTES: The Mets reached the All-Star break with a .500 or better record for the 27th time in 54 seasons. The Diamondbacks are under .500 at the All-Star break for the 10th time in 18 seasons. ... RHP Noah Syndergaard will start Friday in the Mets' first game following the All-Star break. ... Mets RHP Buddy Carlyle, who went on the disabled list with back spasms on May 14, is out for the season after undergoing hip surgery. ... Diamondbacks CF Ender Inciarte (right hamstring strain) was expected to play in his third rehab game for Double-A Mobile on Sunday and is on schedule to return Friday. ... Diamondbacks RHP Jeremy Hellickson, who was penciled in to start the second game after the break, will swap places with the fifth starter, RHP Chase Anderson. Hellickson left Wednesday's start with a blister.