Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat!

It didn't look good for the Mets last night. Micah Owings pitched a solid game, giving up 3 runs over 7 innings and leaving the game with a 4-3 lead.

Tommy Glavine didn't get career win 294, but he didn't loss the game either. Tommy's ND came on a night where he gave up a two run homer to mostly-backup catcher Chris Snyder and one to second baseman Orlando Hudson. Up and comer Stephen Drew drove in Eric Byrnes for the DBacks other run.

Moises Alou again figured in the scoring for the Mets. Driving in Beltran with a double, then scoring himself on a hit by LoDuca. The Mets could have gotten more in that fourth inning, but a throw by Chris Young to third clipped Shawn Green in the leg. Green retreated to second (where LoDuca was already headed) instead of continuing to first. He was promptly throw out at second by third baseman and all around utility sparkplug Alberto Callaspo. This is one of those duh errors that doesn't show up in the boxscore. Like Jay Peyton rounding second on a fly ball out, realizing there's only one out he retreats to first but doesn't touch second. Or Benny Agbayani handing the ball to a fan in the first row when there's 2 outs and runner on. The Mets have made lots of Duh errors. This is just another in that long line.

Anyway, back to the game.

The longest hit of the night went to Carlos Beltran. A monster homer that easily traveled 450 feet to right center. The ball hit into the new Diamond Club at Chase Field and bounced back out onto the field. Crazy, crazy big homer.

The game had great defense on both sides - Reyes making a ridiculous play up the middle and Drew trying the same play a half inning later and just falling short; Wright too a grounder deflected off Glavine's mitt and made a nice play to get the runner. In the bottom of the ninth, Shawn Green laid out for a ball destined to be a triple in the spacious alleys of Chase Field. Chris Young made a fine play going back on a ball hit to center.

The Diamondbacks website hints at the blame for the loss being Tony Clark's error in the top of the ninth. The ninth started with endy Chavez striking out against Jose Valverde and (ironically) ended with Chavez striking out against Dustin Nippert.

With one out (Chavez), Shawn Green came to the plate against former teammate Jose Valverde. Green hit a grounder to Tony Clark. Um, its not entirely fair to call it a grounder. The ball was hit rather hard and took a nasty bounce right in front of the normally sure-handed Clark (former Met). I'm sure Clark's beating himself up enough for the missed play - he doesn't need the DBacks web site chiming in. Anway, Green was followed by a great at bat from LoDuca (who doesn't seem to have anything OTHER than great at bats), then came another former Diamondback Damion Easley.

Now, my buddy Russ had been complaining all night about two players - Moises Alou and Damion Easley. I had mentioned several times that Damion Easley has been directly involved in the Mets winning no less than 3 games this season - either tying games up, or being the winning run. That said, coming up in the top of the ninth against the DBack closer and a former teammate, Damion Easley came through yet again.

Easley cracked a homer to left center right where the fence meets the back wall.

The stadium went nuts. Absolutely crazy. Of the 19,710 in reported attendence, there were probably 15,000 Mets fans and they all knew enough to stay around for the ninth.

Easley's homer put the Mets up 6 to 4. Easley was followed by a pinch hit single by the ageless Julio Franco. Then something happened that I have never seen in a visiting team park. The crowd started chanting the "Jose, Jose, Jose, Jose" song they play for him at Shea. Granted, it might not have been the whole stadium, but it was at least our whole left field bleacher section. The chant was started by my aforementioned buddy Russ and given life by a large man next to us with an equally large Mets tattoo on his leg.

A hit by Reyes chases Valverde and the DBacks brought in Dustin Nippert to face David Wright. Wright's been struggling this season and Nippert's been uphittable since his recent call up. Nippert will one day be a big star for his team. Wright already is.

Nippert started Wright off with the heat, getting to 94 on the sometimes stingy Chase Field radar guns. Wright and Nippert battled for a few pitches. The Wright launched a deep field to right-center gap, not as far as Beltran's monster shot, but enough to clear the fence with some breathing room.

The Mets were now up 9 to 4. Billy Wagner sat down and Scott Schoenweis got up. The rest as they say is history. Nippert got Chavez to strike out, Green made a helluva catch to rob Hudson in the top of the ninth, and the rest went quietly.

Just another game at what the large tattooed Mets fan deemed "Shea West".

This makes the run differential of the Mets v. Diamondbacks at BOB/Chase Field since I moved to Phoenix 85 to 20 in favor of the Mets. They are currently 9-0 in that span. Its bound to end sometime, but I'm sure glad it wasn't last night!

Hopefully, I'll get to see both of these teams here again come playoff time!