NEW YORK (AP) -- Kirk Nieuwenhuis homered three times to help the New York Mets beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 on Sunday and complete a three-game sweep.
Nieuwenhuis homered twice off Diamondbacks starter Rubby De La Rosa (6-5), in the second and third innings and once off reliever Randall Delgado in the fifth. His homer off Delgado rang off the right field foul ball and drew a curtain call from the cheering crowd of 28,259.
The Mets outfielder's effort backed Jonathon Niese, who was starting in place of the injured Steven Matz. Niese (5-8) allowed three runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings.
 
Nieuwenhuis hits 3 HR, Mets win 5-3, sweep D-backs
 
Nieuwenhuis' effort marked the first time any Met had ever homered three times in a home game. Nieuwenhuis is the 10th player in Mets history with a three-homer game and the first since Ike Davis accomplished the feat on July 28, 2012 at Arizona.
He was a mere 3-for-38 before being designated for assignment by the Mets on May 19. New York reacquired him on June 13, after he was waived by the Angels. With a chance to tie the major league record of four home runs in a game, last matched by Josh Hamilton in 2012, Nieuwenhuis struck out against left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin.
Daniel Murphy also homered for the Mets and all 13 runs produced by the team in the series were via home runs.
After Nieuwenhus' first blast opened scoring in the second, the Diamondbacks scratched out a run when Chris Owings lead off the third with a double and scored on Nick Ahmed's groundout to short.
Paul Goldschmidt snapped out of a 0-for-8 skid with a long home run in the fourth.
After David Peralta's two-out, RBI single in the seventh, Jenrry Mejia made his first appearance of the season, retiring Owings on a flyball to Curtis Granderson to end the threat. Mejia had served a 80-game suspension for using Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing drug.
Bobby Parnell worked around a two-out walk to All-Star A.J. Pollock, helped by a diving catch in foul territory by first baseman Lucas Duda.
Jeurys Familia pitched the ninth for his 27th save in 29 chances. Familia closed all three games in the series.
 

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