Diamondbacks down Mets in 15-Inning Holiday Classic
By Brad Rowland
After 5 hours and 46 minutes, the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets finally had “independence” from one another, as the D-Backs edged New York by a 5-4 margin.
If you will forgive that admittedly absurd play on words, it was a highly entertaining game at Citi Field that featured dead-locked scores for the great majority of the night, and 5 total runs scored over a 3-inning period in extra innings. Each team scored 1 run each in both the 13th and 14th innings, with New York answering every push by Arizona, but when the Mets failed to score in the top of the 15th after Arizona took the lead, it was over.
Cliff Pennington smacked the game-winning single to left off of Mets’ pitcher Scott Rice, and when Gerardo Parra crossed the plate, the D-Backs had a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Hours earlier, Ian Kennedy and Dillon Gee engaged in what was a bit of a pitcher’s duel, as each starter threw 7 innings, allowed 6 hits, and 2 runs in quality starts for both teams.
On the offensive side of the plate, both teams struggled, at least relatively, but there were some stand-outs as well. Wil Nieves had a 4-hit game for Arizona, and while no one had a stellar effort from New York, both Anthony Recker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis blasted game-tying home runs in extra frames.
In the grand scheme of things, a 15-inning game on a Thursday afternoon isn’t ground-breaking news. However, each and every fan who walked through the turnstyle in New York got their money’s worth on July 4th, and perhaps, they’ll have a new tradition for years to come.