Mauricio Delivers Dramatic Walk-Off as Mets Edge Diamondbacks

One day after receiving his call-up from Triple-A Syracuse, Ronny Mauricio emerged as an unlikely hero for the New York Mets. The young infielder delivered a clutch pinch-hit single in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Mets to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field on Tuesday.

Mauricio's moment of glory came against veteran closer Paul Sewald, who had entered the game with a one-run lead. Facing a challenging 0-2 count, Mauricio demonstrated remarkable composure for a player making his first major league appearance of the season. He lined Sewald's offering to the right-field wall, securing his first career walk-off RBI and sending the home crowd into celebration.

The Mets had called up Mauricio to fill the roster spot vacated by Juan Soto, who landed on the injured list Monday due to a right calf strain. Mauricio wasted no time making an impact, though the path to his heroics was far from straightforward.

Arizona had taken a 3-2 lead in a controversial fifth inning that highlighted the season's most significant rule change. With the bases loaded and two outs, home plate umpire Brian O'Nora called a third strike on Diamondbacks designated hitter Adrian Del Castillo. However, Del Castillo challenged the call using MLB's new automated ball-strike challenge system.

The ABS review revealed the pitch was just 3/10 of an inch off the plate, overturning the strikeout call and extending the inning. Del Castillo capitalized immediately, lining the very next pitch for a two-run single that tied the game at 2-2. Nolan Arenado followed with an RBI double, giving Arizona the lead and marking one of the season's most consequential automated review overturns.

The dramatic inning proved costly for Mets starter Freddy Peralta, who had been cruising through four scoreless frames. After recording two quick strikeouts to open the fifth, Peralta surrendered consecutive hits and walks to load the bases before giving way to reliever Huascar Brazobán, who ultimately absorbed the damage.

Peralta, acquired in an offseason blockbuster trade with Milwaukee, finished with a line of 4 2/3 innings, three earned runs, and 101 pitches. The right-hander, who went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA last season and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting, now carries a 4.80 ERA through his first three starts with his new club.

The Mets answered Arizona's rally in the eighth inning when Jared Young lifted a sacrifice fly against former Yankees reliever Jonathan Loáisiga. Young, who entered as a pinch-hitter for Mark Vientos, knotted the score at 3-3 and set the stage for extra-inning drama.

Francisco Lindor provided early offensive production for the Mets, recording hits in both the first and second innings despite entering the game mired in a 2-for-25 slump. His second-inning double scored Francisco Alvarez, though Lindor was denied an RBI due to a throwing error charged to Arizona right fielder Corbin Carroll.

Due to frigid weather conditions and strong winds, the Mets moved up start times for both Tuesday and Wednesday's games by three hours to 4:10 p.m. Despite the challenging conditions, both teams managed to produce an entertaining contest that showcased the unpredictable nature of baseball in the early season.

The victory improved the Mets to 7-4 as they continue building momentum in the early stages of the 2026 campaign.