PHOENIX — Kirk Nieuwenhuis traveled from one desert city to another on Tuesday and naturally went right for the pool.
Without literally making a splash, Nieuwenhuis had a substantial night for the Mets. His 3-for-5, three-RBI performance — which included a two-run homer just outside the pool in right field — led a 9-0 demolition of the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, guaranteeing the Mets a winning road trip.
But on a day the Mets placed Juan Lagares on the disabled list and recalled Nieuwenhuis, they were left with another concern, as Jennry Mejia departed after only five innings and 77 pitches after tearing a blister on his right middle finger.
The torn blister is not expected to keep Mejia from making his next scheduled start, but the Mets will monitor the situation. The right-hander allowed only two hits over five shutout innings to rebound from a sluggish performance in Atlanta last Thursday.
Mejia (2-0) retired the first nine batters he faced against the D’backs, and by the time he returned to the mound for the fourth, the Mets had a nine-run lead. Gonzalez Germen gave the Mets an extended relief appearance, pitching three shutout innings after Mejia departed.
The Mets (7-7) will go for a three-game sweep of these listless D’backs on Wednesday, when Dillon Gee faces Brandon McCarthy. Already, the Mets have five victories in eight games on this road trip.
Nieuwenhuis was batting .310 with two homers and eight RBIs at Triple-A Las Vegas after making a strong showing in spring training for the Mets. He credits changes he made to his swing over the winter for his recent success.
“Watching film at home, there was just a lot of stuff going on,” Nieuwenhuis said before the game, referring to his swing. “I just shortened it up.”
Manager Terry Collins liked what he saw from Nieuwenhuis in spring training.
“It’s a shorter swing,” Collins said. “It’s more through the ball. I thought he made some great adjustments and that’s why he hit as well as he did in the spring. His bat is going through the zone much better than it did a year ago.”
Curtis Granderson was absent from the lineup a night after colliding with the right-field fence and suffering bruises on his ribcage, knee and forearm, but isn’t expected to need a DL stint. Nieuwenhuis is expected to start in center field again on Wednesday, before Chris Young returns from the disabled list as soon as Friday and gives Collins another outfield option.
The Mets, wearing No. 42 jerseys in honor of Jackie Robinson Day across the majors, broke open the game in the fourth, when they sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs to take a 9-0 lead. Nieuwenhuis’ two-run blast got the inning started before the Mets received a two-run single from Eric Young Jr. and Daniel Murphy delivered an RBI single. Andrew Brown completed the scoring with an RBI fielder’s choice.
Bronson Arroyo (1-1) loaded the bases to start the game, and Lucas Duda’s RBI fielder’s choice produced a run before Andrew Brown delivered a sacrifice fly and Nieuwenhuis’ RBI single made it 3-0.
The veteran right-hander Arroyo was pummeled for nine earned runs on 10 hits and a walk over 3 ¹/₃ innings.
Arroyo, who signed with the Diamondbacks in the offseason, had expressed some interest in pitching for the Mets in 2014. But team brass never made significant overtures and ultimately used its available dollars for the rotation on Bartolo Colon, who signed a two-year deal worth $20 million.
In perhaps their most balanced offensive attack of the season, the Mets received a 3-for-5 performance from Young to match Nieuwenhuis’ night. Murphy and Wright each went 2-for-5.