NEW YORK -- It's been said that successful closers need to have a short memory so they can bounce back from failure quickly.

Memories don't come much shorter than Jose Valverde's.

"I move on like this," Valverde said snapping his fingers. "Yesterday is yesterday. Today is a new day."

Valverde has done a solid job at converting save chances since taking over the closer's job midway through last season. He was 15 of 17 in converting them last year, and was 14 of 15 this year until blowing consecutive games in Cincinnati on Sunday and on Monday against the Mets.

Valverde has now given up two earned runs in each of his last three outings, seeing his ERA balloon to 5.03. But Melvin believes that periodic struggles are inevitable for closers -- it's how they bounce back that separates the pretenders from the real thing.

"It's a difficult job being a closer," Arizona manager Bob Melvin said. "At times you're going to go through rough periods, but you have to have a short memory. I know he's expecting the ball next time out and wants to go out and rectify it."

Valverde has earned Melvin's confidence and the manager gave a spirited defense of him prior to Monday's action.

"If you look at the rest of the closers in the league and how many guys have been beat up this year ... you know he's given up two blown saves," said Melvin.

After allowing Sunday's walk-off homer to Jose Valentin, Valverde followed the same routine he does after every outing, good or bad. He called his wife Luisa and then put the game behind him.

"When the game [is] over, there's no baseball for me," he said. "That's it. I call my wife. I watch a movie. That's it."

Limited: Infielder Damion Easley took some swings on Monday and was available to pinch-hit, Melvin said.

Easley was scratched from last Wednesday's game when he suffered from back spasms and has been limited ever since.

"I think [Tuesday] will kind of be decision day," Melvin said. "If he feels like he can throw the ball tomorrow, then we'll be in good shape. If not, than we'll probably have to look at doing something."

That would likely include a trip to the disabled list with Arizona reaching into its Minor League system for a replacement.

With Easley limited to just hitting duty, look for him to be used as a hitter before Andy Green, as Melvin will need to save Green for later in the game should he need someone to go in defensively.

Trying: Pitcher Kevin Jarvis had his contract purchased from Triple-A Tucson on May 20 when the Diamondbacks were hurting for innings out of the bullpen, but coming into Monday's game he has yet to see action in a game.

After being used to pitching every fifth day in Tucson, Jarvis is doing everything he can to stay sharp during the layoff. That includes the occasional bullpen session, but those are limited because he has to be available each night to pitch in the game if needed. The club resorted to having him throw a bullpen session in the ninth inning during the last homestand to try to get him some work.

Jarvis also plays catch daily on flat ground trying to get a feel for his release point and spinning some breaking pitches.

"In the end, nothing can replace game situations," he said.

Finally: Second baseman Orlando Hudson was born and raised in Darlington, S.C., but he was a big Mets fan as a kid.

"I liked [Dwight] Gooden and [Darryl] Strawberry, Howard Johnson, Dave Magadan," Hudson said of why he was a Mets fan. "I liked all those guys, and they were here, so that's who I rooted for."

Yet despite his love of the Mets and the fact that he played four years in the big leagues with the Blue Jays before coming over to Arizona, Hudson had never actually seen Shea Stadium in person.

"When I first saw it, I realized that I would walk down the same stairway that Stawberry and Gooden walked down," he said. "When I saw it, I was like, 'Now I get to experience the team and ballpark that I watched a lot growing up.'"

Up next: The Diamondbacks and Mets meet for the second game of this three-game set on Tuesday at 4:05 MST at Shea Stadium. Miguel Batista will get the start for the Diamondbacks against Alay Soler.