PHOENIX - A group of Mets players gathered around the television in the clubhouse to watch a replay of Kirk Nieuwenhuis homer a couple of hours earlier. Walt Kiesling Jersey . Off the crack of the bat, one player shouted: "Get in the pool!" Nieuwenhuis just missed a splashdown but was on the mark in his season debut. Called up from the minors after Juan Lagares went on the disabled list, Nieuwenhuis had three hits, three RBIs and made a diving catch in centre field to lead New York to a 9-0 rout of the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night. "Three years ago, he was a guy people thought was going to be an offensive centre fielder people thought could run, play the game the right way and had some power," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "But some injuries have kept him down a little bit. Hopefully this is his chance to come up and produce." Struggling heading into the three-game series, the Mets have gotten hot in the desert. New York had 13 hits to win the opener and had 12 more to ensure a winning record on its nine-game road trip. Nieuwenhuis had the big highlight, a two-run homer to the pool deck at Chase Field in the Mets six-run fourth inning off Bronson Arroyo (1-1). Eric Young Jr. had three hits and two RBIs, and Andrew Brown drove in two. New York also got solid pitching, something thats been rare this season. Jenrry Mejia (2-0) tossed five effective innings before leaving with a torn blister, combining with Gonzalez Germen and Kyle Farnsworth on a three-hitter for a second straight decisive victory over Arizona. "It was a good win for us," Nieuwenhuis said. "Hopefully we can keep it going." The Diamondbacks had another awful night on the mound, losing their seventh straight home game and eighth in nine at Chase Field. Arroyo allowed 10 runs in less than four innings and Arizona has given up 38 — most of those by the starters — through the first five games of a homestand that ends Wednesday against the Mets. At 4-14, the Diamondbacks have matched the worst start in team history (1998). "Last year, it was the bullpen giving it up and this year its just the inverse," manager Kirk Gibson said. "That part is very frustrating." Mejia struggled with walks during his first two starts — nine in 11 innings — but was hitting his spots against the Diamondbacks. He was perfect through three innings and didnt allow a hit until Paul Goldschmidt sneaked a single inside third base with one out in the fourth. Mejia escaped a jam in the fifth inning and got some defensive help from Nieuwenhuis, who made a sliding catch in centre to rob Mark Trumbo of a hit. Mejia tore a blister on his right index finger and didnt come out for the sixth after allowing two hits. "Until the blister started to act up, he threw the ball very well," Collins said. "About the fifth inning, we knew the finger was getting hot and were hoping to get another 20 pitches out of him, but didnt get that." Arroyo got an extra day of rest between starts, but it didnt seem to do him much good. New York jumped on him from the start, stringing together three straight singles and scoring three runs in the first inning. Nieuwenhuis capped the outburst with a run-scoring single up the middle. It got much worse for Arroyo in the fourth. Nieuwenhuis added his pool-deck homer to right-centre and Young followed with a two-run single to left. New York scored another run on a single and error by centre fielder A.J. Pollock and went up 9-0 on Browns fielders choice. Arroyo allowed 10 runs and nine hits in 3 1-3 innings. "It was 3-0 after the first inning and thats exactly what we couldnt have on this ballclub right now," Arroyo said. "It just kills the morale of a team when youre losing constantly and giving up runs a lot, then you give up a three-spot early on. It just grew from there." About the only thing that went right for the Diamondbacks came in the fifth inning when Gibson challenged a close play at first and had it overturned on replay — with the score 9-0. Mejia got two weak groundouts with two on to end the inning. NOTES: Mets RF Curtis Granderson was out of the lineup after he injured his left forearm and ribs colliding with the outfield wall Monday night. He is day to day. ... New Yorks David Wright extended his hitting streak to seven games. ... Arizona RHP Brandon McCarthy, scheduled to start Wednesday, has a 1.16 ERA in four starts against NL East teams. ... Mets RHP Dillon Gee, who will start Wednesday, allowed four earned runs over five innings in his only start at Chase Field. Billy Howton Jersey . -- The taxing preseason, which included two games in China, is finally over. Jimmy Graham Jersey . The Canadian defensive tackle suffered the injury on Monday and had tests done on Tuesday. He was a potential starter on the defensive line but head coach Mike OShea said he wasnt even thinking about the ratio when he got the news.CHICAGO -- Jake Arrieta said he enjoyed running into some of his old Orioles teammates before Fridays game at Wrigley Field. Then he had an even better time on the mound, shutting down Baltimore in his first start against his former club. Arrieta held Baltimore to four hits in seven innings and Javier Baez homered again as the Chicago Cubs beat the Orioles 4-1. "There was a little more to it, being your former team," Arrieta said. "You know after the first inning, it was just kind of business as usual. "It was nice to face those guys and see a lot of them again. Its been awhile." The Orioles traded Arrieta to Chicago with reliever Pedro Strop in a multi-player deal during last season. Hes turned into Chicagos ace this season. "A really well-played game all the way around," Chicago manager Rick Renteria said. "The stage was actually set by Jake. Jake did a great job; a phenomenal seven innings of work. Baez hit his sixth homer in his 18th game since getting called up from Triple-A, Luis Valbuena also homered, and Logan Watkins and Arismendy Alcantara each drove in runs with singles as the Cubs snapped AL East leading Baltimores four-game winning streak. Baltimores Nelson Cruz hit his major league-leading 34th homer, a solo shot off Arrieta (7-4) in the seventh. It came on a change-up that Arrieta said "wasnt too bad of a pitch." Cruz wasnt one of Arrietas teammates on the Orioles, but he had faced the right-hander before. "I think he looked more mature," Cruz said. "He has command of all his pitches. He doesnt make many mistakes." Baltimores Kevin Gausman (7-5) allowed three runs on six hits through five innings, He struck out seven. Hector Rondon pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save. Arrieta retired the first 13 Baltimore hitters before Chris Davis lined a solid single to centre wwith one out in the fifth, one of only two innings when the Orioles managed baserunners against Chicagos 6-foot-4 right-hander. Cecil Isbell Jersey. He struck out five and walked only one. Valbuena, batting cleanup with Starlin Castro out due to a family emergency, tied a career-high with his 12th homer that put the Cubs ahead 1-0 in the fourth. Ryan Sweeney doubled one out later, then scored on Watkins single. Baez hit a towering shot just inside the left-field foul pole, on a 3-2 pitch with two out in the fifth to make it 3-0. Cruz ended Arrietas shutout bid with a homer that reached the left field basket. TRAINERS ROOM Orioles: A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that third baseman Manny Machado will "probably" have season-ending surgery on his injured right knee. The person spoke to the AP on Friday under condition of anonymity because there was no official confirmation of Machados plans. A decision was expected this weekend. Yahoo! Sports first reported earlier in the day that the 22-year-old All-Star was likely done for the year. Cubs: RHP Brian Schlitter, on the DL since Aug. 10 (right shoulder inflammation) has resumed throwing and made a relief appearance with the Cubs rookie league affiliate in Mesa, Arizona, on Thursday night. UP NEXT Orioles RHP Bud Norris (11-7, 3.69) faces Cubs RHP Kyle Hendricks (5-1, 1.48) on Saturday at 1:20 p.m. CDT. Hendricks has six straight quality starts since rejoining the Cubs on July 22. NOT O-K Including Fridays game Cubs hitters have struck out 104 times in their last nine games. Baez, a free-swinging rookie had fanned 18 times in 33 at-bats. In his 18 games with Chicago, he has fanned 31 times. "It feels good," Baez said of his homer on Friday. "I know I keep fighting to hit the ball hard. Im not afraid to strike out, so Im just going to keep throwing the bat." ' ' '