During the best defensive inning in recent Mets memory, all pitcher David Peterson could do was smile — and giggle a little.
Mark Vientos and Francisco Lindor on the left side of the infield and Tyrone Taylor in centerfield combined for an impromptu clinic, an eight-pitch, 3-minute highlight reel in real time during the fourth inning of the Mets’ 8-3 win over the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.
In consecutive at-bats, Arizona’s Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Eugenio Suarez rocketed batted balls at 100 mph or harder. And each turned into an unlikely out.
“That’s my type of inning,” Lindor said.
Pete Alonso added: “Unbelievable sequence of events.”
And Peterson: “I’ve never seen something like that. And I’ve heard multiple guys say that.”
Grichuk was first. His ground ball was within range of Vientos at third base. He dove for and reached the ball, but it deflected off his glove, pinballing up and over to Lindor at shortstop.
After Lindor made a backhanded stop, he threw to first to easily get Grichuk, who initially took an indirect approach down the line, thinking he had a sure hit and would round first base.
“I was as surprised as anyone,” Lindor said of ending up with the ball. “I was not planning on that. Sometimes it pays off to be lucky.”
Vientos said: “Every day we work on that just in case it happens.”
Then came Gurriel. His line drive to left-centerfield could have gone for extra bases. But Taylor — who was shaded several steps toward rightfield as bat and ball made contact — raced across centerfield and into left-center, then went airborne and lost his hat.
He, too, made a backhanded catch. Upon getting back on his feet, he exclaimed: “Whoa! Wow.”
Alonso called it a “Superman catch.”
“I shocked myself a little bit,” Taylor said. “I get the initial jump and I’m seeing where I think it’s going to land. I’m just running my butt off to try to get there and going all out.”
He thought he had a chance when he was about halfway there.
“That Taylor play was unbelievable,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “When that ball went up, I’m looking at Taylor. Where he started, I’m like, no way he’s going to get there. Before you know it, he’s diving for it and makes a ridiculous play.”
Suarez was the final victim. The play was simpler comparatively, but he hit the ball harder than the others — 112 mph, the highest hit speed by any batter on either side all night. It took one hop before reaching Lindor, who went down to a knee and made a smooth backhanded pick.
“Lindor makes it look like a routine play,” Mendoza said.
Lindor said: “You just gotta stay underneath the ball, work from under like you’re taught . . . From the bottom up, that’s why you do those drills.”
Peterson’s inning could have started with three hits and two runs, with Arizona (15-14) threatening for more. Instead, he returned to the dugout to dish out appreciation.
“I got multiple hugs from Petey,” Taylor said. “I love it. It’s just part of the game. We’re out there playing for each other.”
The Mets (21-9) already had battered lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez (four innings, eight runs) to build a seven-run lead by the time Peterson took the mound in the top of the fourth. Lindor, Starling Marte and Alonso hit home runs off Rodriguez.
Alonso’s RBI was the 614th of his career, tying Ed Kranepool for fifth on the Mets’ all-time list.
Alonso also made three diving stops for outs at first base.
“That,” he said, “is another way to win a ballgame.”
