Major League Baseball

Montero homers in D-backs' win

Published Jul. 28, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

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Ike Davis hit three home runs only minutes from home and still couldn't truly enjoy it.

Ian Kennedy pitched into the seventh inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame Davis' power show in a 6-3 win over the skidding New York Mets on Saturday night.

''It's bittersweet, for sure,'' Davis said.

A former Arizona State star, Davis became the ninth Mets player to hit three homers in a game — all on the road. Carlos Beltran was the last to do it on May 12, 2011, at Colorado.

Davis played high school ball in nearby Scottsdale. One of his friends, Mike Lio, died of cancer at age 22, and his buddies organized a group outing at Saturday's game as a charity fundraiser.

''I didn't get to play here last year during this event,'' Davis said. ''Two years ago, I didn't get a hit. It's a good day because all our buddies get together and meet up before the game, hang out and have a blast. I don't get to hang out with them, but they get to watch me play. It's fun to remember the good times and I got to hit a couple of home runs on the day we are celebrating Mike.''

Miguel Montero homered, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs for third-place Arizona (51-50), which has won eight of 11 to move within 4 1/2 games of NL West-leading San Francisco. Gerardo Parra added three hits and two RBIs.

New York managed nothing on offense besides Davis' solo shots and lost for the 14th time in 16 games. After an encouraging first half, the Mets are 5-17 in July.

''It certainly has taken its toll on us, no question. You look up and it's not one run behind, it's three and four and sometimes five runs behind,'' Mets manager Terry Collins said. ''It's an uphill climb, but you come back a lot of times and made them close but can't get over the top.''

Davis connected in his first three at-bats, all against Kennedy. The first baseman added a single in the eighth and finished 4 for 4, raising his batting average to .216. He was on deck when J.J. Putz struck out David Wright with two on for his 19th save in 22 chances.

Davis leads the Mets with a career-high 20 home runs. He has three career multihomer games.

''It is a positive thing, but obviously I don't want to hit .216 for my career,'' Davis said. ''I want to get base hits, too, and not just home runs. If I am hitting just home runs, at least I am helping the team in that way.''

He homered to straightaway center field in the second and fourth, both well above the yellow line on the backdrop for the batter's eye - one of the deepest parts of Chase Field.

''I even hung a curveball to try something different. I threw good ones and he fouled them off,'' Kennedy said. ''I hung one and it still didn't make a difference. It was just jaw-dropping. I guess he made SportsCenter.''

Davis pulled a drive down the right-field line in the sixth, making him the seventh major leaguer to go deep at least three times in a game this season.

With a chance to tie the major league record of four homers in a game, Davis singled to right field in the eighth against David Hernandez.

''It's still not where I want to be, but it's definitely getting better,'' Davis said.

Kennedy (9-8) allowed seven hits in 6 1-3 innings while striking out nine. His streak of 85 straight batters faced without a walk ended with a fifth-inning pass to Ruben Tejada.

The Diamondbacks got a run in the first after Parra singled, then beat the throw home on a double to left-center by Aaron Hill.

Davis tied it in the second with his first home run. Arizona responded with recent call-up Ryan Wheeler's first extra-base hit, a double to right-center to drive in Montero and give the Diamondbacks a 2-1 lead.

Parra singled in Wheeler with two outs, but was caught too far off first base on the cutoff throw and was tagged out.

The inning featured a tough defensive play by Tejada, who slid under Wright in foul territory down the left-field line to catch a popup.

Montero's fourth-inning homer, his 11th of the season, was a two-run shot that made it 5-2.

Parra's two-out single drove in Wheeler after a walk and a sacrifice.

Davis led off the sixth with his third home run of the game, a line drive over the fence near the right-field corner.

''Erase him out of the lineup and I would have done maybe a lot better,'' Kennedy said. ''But we won and that's the important thing.''

Mets starter Chris Young (2-5) lasted four innings, his second-shortest outing of the season. He allowed six runs on seven hits and threw 68 pitches.

New York put runners at the corners with one out in the eighth, but Hernandez got out of it. Putz whiffed pinch-hitter Scott Hairston and Wright with two on to end it.

''We haven't been able to come up with some offense,'' Collins said. ''Today, 15 strikeouts. That is not how we swing the bat.''

NOTES: Mets CF Andres Torres, who entered in the fifth, made a running catch with his back to the infield in deep center field in the seventh, stealing a hit from Parra.