NEW YORK -- Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale knows that in order for his team to be successful, pitcher Rubby De La Rosa has to be one of his top performers.
After pitching well in his final four starts in June, De La Rosa has struggled in his two July outings.
In the shortest start of his career, De La Rosa (6-5) lasted only 3 2-3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, including two of Kirk Nieuwenhuis' three home runs, as the Diamondbacks fell to the New York Mets 5-3 on Sunday.
The Mets hit three of their four home runs off De La Rosa and scored all 13 runs in the series via home run. De La Rosa has given up 21 home runs in 110 1-3 innings, the third highest total in baseball.
"He didn't have his best stuff," Hale said. "For us to be successful, Rubby has to be one of our best pitchers, so he's got to get the ball down."
In his two July outings, De La Rosa has allowed 10 earned runs in 8 2-3 innings, after only allowing four in 27 2-3 innings over his previous four starts.
"I make a lot of mistakes," De La Rosa added. "I tried to keep the ball down, but I keep a couple balls up, so I pay. I blame myself."
Nieuwenhuis homered off De La Rosa in the second and third innings and once off reliever Randall Delgado in the fifth. His homer off Delgado rang off the right field foul ball and he became the first Met to hit three home runs in a home game.
"It means a lot for Kirk, I know that," Mets manager Terry Collins added. "Today he came through for us. He's a tremendous kid and plays the game the way you want to play it."
With a chance to tie the major league record of four home runs in a game, last matched by Josh Hamilton in 2012, Nieuwenhuis struck out leading off the seventh against left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin, who pitched two innings of perfect relief.
The outfielder's effort backed Jonathon Niese, who was starting in place of the injured Steven Matz. Niese (5-8) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings.
After Nieuwenhuis' first home run gave the Mets a 1-0 lead, Arizona scratched out a run when second baseman Chris Owings, who led off the third with a double, scored on Nick Ahmed's grounder to short.
The Diamondbacks would only muster three additional hits after the double, including Paul Goldschmidt's home run, which snapped a 0-for-8 skid. "We had some opportunities we didn't take advantage of," he said.
Despite having the National League's highest scoring offense, the Diamondbacks have struggled against the dynamic Mets pitching staff. But Hale insists he isn't concerned.
"The guys battled," Hale said. "They're a good ball club. They have obviously some of the best pitchers in the league, starters and obviously late-inning pitchers. They know in their hearts that if they get four, five runs, they're going to win the game."
After Goldschmidt's homer, the Diamondbacks scratched home another run on a RBI single for David Peralta, scoring Yasmany Tomas, that ended Niese's day.
The Diamondbacks head into the break having lost four out of their last six games.
Mets: OF Michael Cuddyer (knee) was held out of the lineup after starting back-to-back games. Manager Terry Collins said, "it was a good day to get his lefties in there" against De La Rosa, but also suggested that giving Cuddyer an extra day off, because of knee, made sense.OF Curtis Granderson and IF Daniel Murphy both returned to the starting lineup after receiving a day off (rest). ... Juan Lagares came out the game at the start of the right inning with a tight right calf.
Diamondbacks: Pitcher Jeremy Hellickson (blister) wore a band-aid on his injured finger and threw a side session before the game. Prior to the game, manager Chip Hale indicated that depending on how the session went, changes might have to be made to his post All-Star game rotation. Shortly before first pitch, the Diamondbacks announced that Hellickson, who was scheduled to pitch the team's second game after the break, would switch places with Chase Anderson and pitch the fifth game instead.
Mets: After the All-Star break, the Mets begin a stretch of ten games in ten days against the three first place teams in the National League, with the first six coming on the road. The Mets will travel to St. Louis to begin the second half, taking on the Cardinals. Collins indicated that Noah Syndergaard (4-4, 3.11 ERA) would likely start the first game of the series, followed by either Bartolo Colon or Jonathon Niese.
Diamondbacks: Following the break, the Diamondbacks begin a ten-game homestand. The San Francisco Giants are first up on the schedule, for a three-game NL West matchup. Robbie Ray (3-4, 2.16 ERA) will be on the mound for the series opener. Chase Anderson and Patrick Corbin will follow him. Anderson was originally scheduled to pitch the fifth game after the break, to provide him with extra rest, but it was announced prior to the game that he would switch places with Jeremy Hellickson.
