NEW YORK -- Outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis stepped into the throng of writers and cameraman gathered around his locker late Sunday afternoon, turned and faced the crowd. After a second or two, an incredulous grin crossed his face and he began to laugh.

He would have plenty to say over the next few minutes, but Nieuwenhuis' initial reaction provided the perfect summation of an afternoon in which he authored the unlikeliest power surge in New York Mets history.

The well-traveled and long-slumping Nieuwenhuis became the first Mets player in the franchise's 54-season history to hit three homers in a home game Sunday, when he finished with four RBIs in a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citi Field.

"It's been a wild ride for sure," Nieuwenhuis said. "Today was a lot of fun."

Many of the days leading up to the 10th three-homer game in Mets history weren't as fun for Nieuwenhuis, who entered Sunday hitting .106 with no homers and three RBIs in 66 at-bats in games between the Mets and the Los Angeles Angels.

The former third-round pick of the Mets began the season in the majors with New York but was designated for assignment on May 19 after hitting .079 with 17 strikeouts in his first 38 at-bats. He was traded to the Angels for cash considerations eight days later and hit .136 in 22 at-bats for Los Angeles before he was claimed by the Mets off waivers on June 13.

"I was like, wow, that's interesting," Nieuwenhuis said. "I was super happy to come back and see familiar faces."

The Mets outrighted him to Triple-A Las Vegas two days later and recalled him last Monday. He had one hit in six at-bats in his second go-around with the Mets before busting out Sunday, when Nieuwenhuis played left field and batted fifth against right-hander Rubby De La Rosa, who gave up 12 homers to left-handed batters in his first 17 starts.

"Looked at De La Rosa, just thought, geez, the lefties have just so much better numbers," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "So we took a shot, got him in there. Huge day."

Nieuwenhuis snapped a homer drought of 106 plate appearances dating back to Sept. 3, 2014, when he led off the second with an opposite field homer to left to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

He hit a two-run, two-out homer to left-center off De La Rosa in the third inning to extend the Mets' lead to 4-1 and blasted a leadoff homer off right-hander Randall Delgado in the fifth inning to put New York ahead 5-2.

"It was fun to see him after that second (homer)," said left-handed pitcher Jonathon Niese, who earned the win with 6 2/3 solid innings. "And the third one, the dugout just erupted."

Nieuwenhuis led off the seventh inning with a chance to become only the 17th player in history to hit four homers in a game, but he struck out on four pitches against left-hander Andrew Chafin.

The three-homer game -- the 10th in Mets history -- gave Nieuwenhuis as many homers as he did all of last season. He also had three homers in 2013.

"A little bit surreal," Nieuwenhuis said. "But after the last month, I think I'm used to that."

Surreal, too, is the company now shared by Nieuwenhuis and his 16 career homers. The first nine Mets players with three-homer games (Jim Hickman, Dave Kingman, Claudell Washington, Darryl Strawberry, Gary Carter, Edgardo Alfonzo, Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Ike Davis) have combined for 2,146 career homers.

"That's why it's a great game, because you don't have any answer for it," Collins said. "Nobody knows what's going to happen on a daily basis.

"To have him a day like today -- everybody was fired up for him, for sure."

Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale, who was the Mets' third base coach while Nieuwenhuis was a minor leaguer in 2010 and 2011, wasn't quite fired up, but he was

"I've known him since I was a coach here and he was always a very well-regarded prospect," Hale said. "Hasn't really gotten the opportunities to kind of shine. Today he sure did."

Third baseman Daniel Murphy also homered for the Mets (47-42), who swept the three-game series to move within two games of the Washington Nationals in the National League East and within one game of the Chicago Cubs for the second wild card.

Niese (5-8) earned the win after allowing three runs on five hits and no walks while striking out three. Right-hander Jeurys Familia earned his 27th save with a hitless ninth.

The Diamondbacks (42-45) were swept for the first time since losing three straight to the Los Angeles Dodgers from June 8-10. Arizona leads the National League with 391 runs scored but scored just seven runs against the Mets.

"They're a good ballclub," Hale said of the Mets. "They have some of the best pitchers in the league -- starters and late-inning pitchers."

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt homered while shortstop Nick Ahmed and left fielder David Peralta each had an RBI.

De La Rosa (6-5) allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out two over 3 2/3 innings.

NOTES: Mets CF Juan Lagares left after the eighth inning due to a tight right calf. ... Mets RHP Buddy Carlyle, who went on the disabled list with back spasms on May 14, is out for the season after undergoing hip surgery. ... Diamondbacks CF Ender Inciarte (right hamstring strain) was expected to play in his third rehab game for Double-A Mobile on Sunday and is on schedule to return Friday. ... Diamondbacks RHP Jeremy Hellickson, who was penciled in to start the second game after the break, will swap places with the fifth starter, RHP Chase Anderson. Hellickson left Wednesday's start with a blister.