Mets lose 10-inning crusher after bench-clearing incident

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Whatever caused Josh Rojas to begin jawing with Stroman as players were leaving the field after the fifth inning may have derailed the pitcher, and ultimately the Mets in 6-5, 10-inning loss to the...

PHOENIX — Marcus Stroman ticked off the Diamondbacks, awakening an asleep team Tuesday night.

Josh Rojas began jawing with Stroman as players were leaving the field after the fifth inning, possibly derailing the pitcher, and ultimately the Mets.

On a night the recently hot bats simmered and Stroman caved (along with Edwin Diaz and Trevor May), the Mets lost 6-5 in 10 innings at Chase Field to snap their five-game winning streak.

May surrendered a walkoff two-run double to Josh Reddick after walking Pavin Smith with one out and the automatic runner on second.

Tensions flared after Rojas was retired for the final out in the fifth. As the Mets were leaving the field, Rojas began yelling at Stroman, prompting the benches and bullpens to empty. David Peralta got in Stroman’s face, but order was restored without punches thrown.

Rojas later admitted he was trying to fire up his team by chirping at Stroman.

Marcus Stroman is held back by bullpen coach Ricky Bones during a verbal altercation with Josh Rojas at the end of the fifth inning of the Mets’ 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Diamondbacks.

“[Stroman] was looking at me after I flew out,” Rojas said. “We made eye contact … I tried to stir the pot a little bit.”

In Rojas’ estimation, the tactic worked.

“I think it worked in our favor,” he said. “We had a real good inning that next inning.”

The Diamondbacks made it a game in that sixth inning, using Smith’s three-run homer against Stroman to pull within 4-3. Stroman had allowed only four hits as the inning began, but surrendered consecutive singles to Marte and Eduardo Escobar to begin the frame. Smith then cleared the right-field fence on a 92-mph sinker that didn’t bite.

Stroman, who wouldn’t comment on the incident with Rojas, was asked if he got rattled by the hoopla.

“Not at all,” Stroman said.

Rojas stroked an RBI single in the ninth to tie it 4-4, handing Diaz his first blown save of the season. Billy McKinney misplayed Nick Ahmed’s single, allowing the runner to reach second. The run became earned with Ketel Marte’s single after Rojas had tied the game.

May crumbled in the 10th after James McCann’s RBI double in the top of the inning had given the Mets a 5-4 lead. Reddick’s ball was ruled just fair along the right-field line and the call was upheld on replay.

“It was foul — it still is to this moment in my opinion,” May said. “But [the umpires] saw whatever they saw.”

Manager Luis Rojas defended his decision to use May over Seth Lugo, who was activated from the injured list Monday but still hasn’t pitched.

The Diamondbacks’ Josh Reddick celebrates after belting the game-winning two-run double in the 10th inning.

“May is a guy we foresee as a strikeout guy,” Rojas said. “He’s a guy that has been high-leverage, it’s a situation there where Diaz is out of the game and we felt that May could help us close the deal there.”

After the benches emptied, the Mets built from a 2-0 lead. Francisco Lindor just missed a two-run homer, blasting an RBI triple to center field after Jonathan Villar singled leading off the inning. Dominic Smith’s sacrifice fly extended that lead to 4-0.

Jeurys Familia escaped a jam in the seventh, after Jonathan Villar threw away Ahmed’s grounder for a two-base error leading off the inning. Familia recorded two quick outs, walked Marte and struck out Escobar, celebrating with a dance as he came off the mound. Loup pitched a perfect eighth before Diaz’s hiccup in the ninth.

Dominic Smith snapped a home run drought that had extended to 138 at-bats dating to April 13 with a two-run blast in the fourth that got the Mets on the scoreboard. Pete Alonso delivered a two-out single before Smith crushed a slider over the center-field fence for his third homer of the season. Smith entered play batting only .148 against sliders.

Stroman breezed into the middle innings after encountering minimal resistance early. In the second inning he allowed a two-out single to Stephen Vogt before unleashing a wild pitch, but struck out Nick Ahmed. In the third, Stroman surrendered a two-out double to Marte before retiring Escobar. In the fifth, Vogt was caught looking at strike three after Josh Reddick had delivered a two-out single.

Over five innings, Diamondbacks left-hander Caleb Smith allowed two earned runs on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk. It was only the second start this season for Smith, who has 19 appearances in relief.

Over five innings, Diamondbacks left-hander Caleb Smith allowed two earned runs on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk. It was just the second start this season for Smith, who has 19 appearances in relief.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Mike Puma