Manager Torey Lovullo called for a bunt. The Arizona Diamondbacks had runners on first and second and nobody out in the third inning on Wednesday afternoon (May 7), and Lovullo was trying to set in motion a plan for the day.

He wanted a lead. He wanted to eventually go to his top relievers. He wanted to go for a win.

Perdomo, however, did not put down a good bunt and the New York Mets and pitcher Kodai Senga wound up escaping the inning unscathed. A few innings later, the Mets took the lead for good and cruised to a series-clinching win.

The Diamondbacks lost, 7-1, in large part because their hitters did not put many good swings on balls. But in Lovullo’s eyes, they also lost because they again did not execute a fundamental play.

“Little things matter, details matter,” Lovullo said. “Sometimes I feel like we’re a little bit getting away from our identity trying to do a little bit too much and not linking up one through nine offensively, not handing the ball off from pitcher to pitcher effectively.”

Juan Soto blasted a pair of home runs and Senga fired six scoreless innings, working around a five-walk afternoon. The Diamondbacks got a solo homer from Corbin Carroll but managed just five other hits, going hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Right-hander Merrill Kelly was a bright spot for the Diamondbacks. In working a season-high 6 1/3 innings, he managed to avoid the leg cramping issues that had forced him to exit early from two of his previous three starts.

He gave up three runs on six hits, but he thinks he might have found a routine that could help him avoid having to again walk off the field with a trainer by his side.

“I tried moving around a little bit more (between innings),” Kelly said. “I tried not to shut down, tried not to cool off too much. I felt like I was maybe trying to down-regulate a little bit too much between innings and then expecting the nervous system to go out and fire. I think it was just a little bit confused.

“That’s what we went with today and I think we’ll keep going at it. As far as that goes, we didn’t get the win on the field, but, for me, the no cramps was obviously a win.”

Soto blasted his first homer of the day in the sixth, a shot that just cleared the overhang to the right of center field. It came on a 1-1 pitch, a fastball from Kelly that looked a smidge lower than he might have wanted it.

The Mets chased Kelly from the game with hits from three of the first four batters in the seventh. After Luis Torrens doubled to center, Luisangel Acuna knocked him in with a single to center then scored on Jeff McNeil’s triple to right-center.

Kelly said the increased activity between innings had nothing to do with the late-game struggles.

“Probably just getting towards the end of my rope,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t feel too bad. I just missed with a couple of pitches.”

One play Lovullo wished his club had executed better was Perdomo’s third-inning bunt. It came after Senga had walked consecutive batters, and Lovullo wondered if Perdomo could have forced Senga into the strike zone more rather than bunting the second pitch of the at-bat.

“We’ve got to let Senga throw the baseball and maybe throw himself out of that game,” Lovullo said. “Five walks in the first three innings is a lot for any pitcher. We just couldn’t capitalize.”

As for the bunt itself, it died right in front of the plate and Torrens, the catcher, picked it up and quickly fired to get the force at third. One pitch later, Pavin Smith bounced into an inning-ending double play.

An inning earlier, a perfect relay from center fielder Tyrone Taylor to Acuna, the shortstop, to Torrens cut down Eugenio Suarez, who was trying to score on Alek Thomas’ double into the gap. Lovullo had no issue with third-base coach Shaun Larkin’s aggressive send.

“We were trying to get a lead and protect that lead,” Lovullo said. “Was it a force? No, it was a bang-bang play and I’ll take that every time.”

Whether the outcome has far-reaching consequences remains to be seen, but the win prevents the Diamondbacks from capturing the season head-to-head advantage. Not having the tiebreaker against the Mets last year helped keep the Diamondbacks out of the postseason.

After four consecutive series against contending teams — the Braves, Mets (twice) and Phillies — the Diamondbacks are 5-7. They have struggled for a variety of reasons. Five times in that stretch, they have scored three runs or fewer. Their starters have turned in a couple of duds. Their bullpen has had issues late. And they continue to make fundamental mistakes in just about every area.

The path forward will not get any easier. Next up, the Diamondbacks will welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to Chase Field for a four-game set in what will be their first in-division matchup of the year.

—Nick Piecoro

Naylor shows grit in staying in

Josh Naylor was hit on the right hand by a pitch in the second inning on May 6, but stayed in the game. Asked a day later if he had X-rays taken, Naylor shook his head.

“I don’t do those,” he said. “I don’t care (what they say). As long as I can move it, we’re good.”

It should come as no surprise, then, that Naylor is back in the lineup for the May 7 series finale against the Mets, serving as the designated hitter.

“He’s got a warrior mentality,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “He doesn’t want to come out of any games. He reluctantly took a day off in New York. I appreciate that. He’s working his way through it in his own way, but he’s fighting to convince people he’s OK.”

Lovullo said the club’s medical staff has determined Naylor does not have any broken bones in his hands/fingers.

Lovullo described an entertaining back-and-forth with Naylor when he came to check on him at first base after the hit-by-pitch.

“Sometimes players get very quiet,” Lovullo said. “They listen to the commands of the medical team. That’s not the case with Josh.

“He is like a 7-year-old. ‘Ow, that hurt. That really hurt. That really hurt. That really effing hurt. It’s getting better. Hang on. I’m going to stay in this game. Don’t think about taking me out of this game. It still effing hurts. Oh my god, I can’t believe it.’

“It’s just constant chatter.”

A day later, Naylor said his hand still hurts, but it won’t stop him from playing.

“It hurts,” he said. “But we’re still here. We’re alive. We’re good.”

—Nick Piecoro

Diamondbacks injury updates

Lovullo said right-handed pitcher Kendall Graveman was set to pitch at Triple-A Reno on May 7, as Graveman (15-day injured list) works his way back from a strained back he’s dealt with since spring training.

Right-handed reliever Justin Martinez (15-day IL, right shoulder inflammation) was to start his throwing program on May 7, and left-handed reliever A.J. Puk (left elbow inflammation) is still in treatment and getting close to starting his throwing program.

Right-hander Corbin Burnes threw his bullpen session on May 7 before the game and is still on track to make his next start on May 10.

“Everything is going as anticipated with Corbin,” Lovullo said.

Catcher Gabriel Moreno wasn’t in the lineup, as he is still dealing with a sore left side. Lovullo said Moreno could play if needed.

-Jose M. Romero

Coming up

Thursday, May 8: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Brandon Pfaadt (5-2, 3.79) vs. Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (4-2, 0.90).

Friday, May 9: At Chase Field, 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 5.92) vs. Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (1-1, 3.86).

Saturday, May 10: At Chase Field, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Corbin Burnes (1-1, 3.58) vs. Dodgers RHP Dustin May (1-2, 4.36).

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