(Sports Network) - The road hasn't been too kind for the New York Mets and last night's embarrassing loss in Arizona was proof. The Mets will try to regroup on their 11-game, three-city tour out west tonight in the second portion of a three-game series against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
New York was pummeled, 13-2, in Monday's series opener and fell to 1-4 on the road trip. Mike Pelfrey must have been bothered by neck stiffness and lasted just 1 1/3 innings, allowing six runs and seven hits. Fern6ando Nieve did no better in relief and gave up five runs in two innings.
"I'm going through one of the worst stretches of my life. I don't know if I've ever had four starts in a row without getting out of the fifth inning," Pelfrey said. "I think tonight was definitely the shortest outing of my life, it's frustrating."
Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan drove in the only runs for the Mets, who have lost seven of nine overall and are 4-10 in the last 14 road games. New York has been held to four runs or less in 10 straight games, going 3-7 in that span, and will also visit Los Angeles for four games on the road swing.
R.A. Dickey will try to get the Mets back in the win column when he makes his 12th start of the season tonight. Dickey opened the 2010 campaign 6-0 over his first seven starts, but is 0-3 with a 3.16 ERA in the past four trips to the hill. Dickey has dropped back-to-back starts and pitched well enough for the win in last Thursday's 2-0 loss at San Francisco.
Dickey limited the Giants to a run and five hits in seven innings, falling to 6-3 to go along with a 2.63 ERA this season. The right-handed knuckleballer has never faced the Diamondbacks.
Arizona is playing out the string and managed to end a four-game slide with last night's 11-run rout of the Mets. Mark Reynolds hit a three-run homer and had an RBI triple, while Miguel Montero and Adam LaRoche both ended with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI for the D'Backs, who got two RBI apiece from Justin Upton and Gerardo Parra to make life miserable for Pelfrey.
"For whatever reason we've done well against him," Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. "Guys were just picking the ball up well and we struck the ball well tonight."
Chris Young got into the act with three hits and three runs scored. Ian Kennedy started for Arizona and earned the win by permitting just a run on four hits and two walks through five innings.
The D'Backs, who will also host the Giants for four games, will hand the ball to rookie Barry Enright on Tuesday. Enright is 1-2 with a 3.45 ERA in his first three major league starts and has lost consecutive starts since winning his MLB debut on June 30 at St. Louis.
Enright previously took the hill in a 2-0 loss to Florida on July 11 and was dealt the loss for giving up both runs and four hits in five innings. The righty out of Pepperdine will face the Mets for the first time, and is 0-2 with a 4.22 ERA in two starts in the desert.
New York and Arizona are meeting for the first time since the Diamondbacks won five of seven meetings a year ago.