Mets Win; Granderson, Lagares Hurt

The Mets beat the Diamondbacks Monday night but it was a costly victory — both Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares had to leave the game with injuries.

With a runner on first in the first inning, Miguel Montero hit a long drive to right. Granderson ran it down, but then he slammed his arm into a protruding padded stanchion on the wall. The ball popped out of his glove and the run scored to give the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead. Granderson was clearly in pain but he stayed in the game until being removed in the top of the seventh. He has contusions to his forearm, as well as his ribcage and knee somehow. X-rays came back negative for anything serious.

The Mets tied things up in the top of the second. Lucas Duda singled and Lagares doubled to put runners on second and third. Duda scored on a Ruben Tejada ground out.

Eric Young led off the third with an infield single and he went to second on a throwing error by the shortstop. Daniel Murphy hit a ball over the center fielder’s head, but Young did not read it well and only advanced to third on the double. Young scored when David Wright grounded out to break the tie. Murphy scored on a Duda RBI single to give the Mets a 3-1 lead.

Zack Wheeler allowed two walks and a single to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the third. A sacrifice fly scored a run to make it 3-2, but Wright cut off the throw to the plate and threw to third to nail the runner trying to advance. The double play ended the inning and bailed Wheeler out.

Mike Bolsinger made his major league debut in relief for the Diamondbacks in the fifth inning. It was likely not the first inning of his dreams. Murphy singled with one out and Wright walked. Granderson singled against the shift to score Murphy and then Duda singled to score Wright as the Mets extended the lead to 5-2. Bolsinger settled down, going three innings and not allowing any more runs.

Duda collected his fourth hit on the night in the seventh. He was erased when Lagares grounded out. But Lagares hurt his hamstring running to first and had to be removed from the game. Ike Davis pinch ran.

So with Andrew Brown already in for Granderson, Duda had to go to left field (where he was so good last season) and Young shifted to center. Davis manned first.

Wheeler was pitching reasonably well until running into trouble in the seventh. With one out he allowed a double and a walk, and that ended his night. Carlos Torres, who has been pitching so well of late, was called upon to get out of the jam. And he was up to the task, getting the next two outs to end the inning.

Wheeler went 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He allowed three walks and struck out three. He picked up his first win of the season against two losses.

The Mets padded the lead in the eighth. Anthony Recker, who came in on a double-switch, led off with a walk. Young sacrificed, but reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith (didn’t he used to anchor the news at WCBS-TV?!) made the worst throw to first you’ll ever see. The ball went passed the first baseman and there were runners on second and third. Recker scored on a sacrifice fly and Young came around when Wright singled to make it 7-2.

Torres allowed a run in the eighth and the Mets went on to win 7-3.