PHOENIX _ It all started with a bunt.
Down to their last out in the ninth, the Mets rallied for four runs in the ninth following a bunt single by Jose Reyes in their 5-3 come-from-behind win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Brandon Nimmo's two-run homer off Brad Boxberger gave the Mets the lead for good, and the Mets (30-38) managed a split of this four-game series.
Sunday's game changed almost as fast as Nimmo's homer left the yard Sunday, and it all began with a bunt that maybe traveled maybe 30 feet.
The Mets trailed 3-1 with two on and no outs when Reyes bunted toward third base. The ball seemed headed foul, but Diamondbacks catcher Alex Avila opted to pick it up to allow for a chance to get Reyes. He never even managed a throw.
If Avila had just let the ball go foul, the game may have ended shortly after.
Instead, the Mets took advantage of the opening to stun the sellout crowd.
Jose Bautista followed with an RBI double that Jon Jay could not catch despite a diving effort, and Nimmo crushed a flat change-up to give the Mets the lead.
Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a homer for a 5-3 edge.
Due to the four-run rally, the Mets have now scored five runs in back-to-back games after not scoring that many in their previous 15 games.
The clutch hits salvaged what a game that seemed like it was going to a typical loss for the Mets featuring quality pitching and poor offense.
Zack Wheeler allowed just two runs in six innings in a strong outing, but left with the team trailing 2-1. The Mets went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the first eight innings, and Jay Bruce left three men in scoring position in that stretch.
Wheeler allowed two runs in the fourth inning but otherwise cruised while yielding just three hits and striking out eight. Excluding the fourth inning, Wheeler faced the minimum in his other five innings while allowing just one hit in those frames.
David Peralta's RBI double to right-center tied the game at 1-all, and Daniel Descalso's RBI groundout gave Arizona the lead for good.
Jeurys Familia allowed a run in the eighth in his return from the disabled list, but left the bases loaded in what proved to be a crucial moment in the game.
Not that long after, the Mets seemed dead to rights before the Diamondbacks helped them out with a poor decision, leading to one of the Mets' best wins of the season.
