As the clock ticks down toward the trading deadline, it was as if this game was a bat signal to David Stearns, shining the spotlight on the Mets’ deficits. What began as a pitcher’s duel ended in a lopsided 7-1 loss to the Padres thanks to a seventh inning bullpen meltdown on the part of the Mets.
The Padres manufactured a run in the first inning thanks to some bold base running by Fernando Tatís Jr. He singled to center to lead things off for the Padres and then advanced to second on a bunt by Luis
Arráez, who was clearly trying to bunt for a hit, but still made a productive out nonetheless. Manny Machado then flew out to shallow center, but Tatís pushed the envelope and tagged up to take the extra base, which paid off for San Diego when he scored on a single by Jackson Merrill.
Sean Manaea really settled in after that, retiring 12 Padres in a row to cap off his night at five total innings of work, over which he was charged with just the one run on three hits. He struck out four batters and didn’t walk any, but still on a pitch count, his night ended before he had a chance to log a quality start and the Mets would end up suffering for it. Meanwhile, Ryan Bergert held the Mets scoreless through the first four innings, racking up four strikeouts of his own. The Mets didn’t really threaten until the fifth when they loaded the bases with nobody out. Brett Baty walked to lead things off, Luis Torrens singled down the right field line to advance Baty to third, and then Berget issued a free pass to Brandon Nimmo as well, which chased him from the game.
Jeremiah Estrada came in the game in relief and struck out Francisco Lindor for the first out. Lindor struck out three times on the night as his struggles at the plate continue. Carlos Mendoza then tried something bold and it (sort of) paid off for him. Tyrone Taylor had come in the game to play the outfield in the fourth inning, replacing Juan Soto, who bruised his foot when he fouled a ball off it in the top of the fourth. He was due up in Soto’s spot after Lindor and Mendoza pinch hit Starling Marte for him. Marte hit a medium fly ball to right center and Fernando Tatís Jr., despite having a worse angle than center fielder Jackson Merrill, came streaking in from right field, cutting Merrill off to catch Marte’s fly ball and fling it home. Tatís’ throw was off line and Baty crossed the plate with the tying run.
But the Padres took the lead again in the sixth and then broke things open in the seventh off José Buttó and Chris Devenski. Buttó issued a four-pitch walk to Tatís to lead off the sixth, but Luis Torrens struck again with another bullet of a throw to nab Tatís trying to steal second. Luis Arráez then singled and Manny Machado lined out to third for the second out. Buttó was then the victim of some rather rotten luck when Merrill hit a bouncer down the first base line that bounced over Pete Alonso’s head for a go-ahead RBI triple. Buttó stopped the bleeding there, but bad luck cannot account for what happened in his second inning of work in the seventh. He gave up a pair of singles, got the first out via a strikeout, but then Elias Díaz delivered a decisive blow—an RBI double down the left field line to put the Padres up 4-1. Buttó recorded the second out, but then walked Arráez and was removed from the game in favor of Devenski. Manny Machado greeted Devenski by blowing the doors off with a three-run homer to stretch the Padres’ lead to 7-1.
The Padres bullpen, by contrast, which has been a strength for San Diego all year, pitched five scoreless innings. Wandy Peralta earned the win. After winning seven straight, the Mets will try to avoid being swept in San Diego tomorrow afternoon with Clay Holmes on the mound facing off against Yu Darvish.
SB Nation GameThreads
Box scores
Win Probability Added
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/26071965/chart__84_.png)
FangraphsBig Mets winner: Sean Manaea, +12.7% WPA
Big Mets loser: José Buttó, -28.2% WPA
Mets pitchers: -20.2% WPA
Mets hitters: -29.8% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Torrens’ single in the fifth to put the tying run at third, +13.6% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jackson Merrill’s go-ahead RBI triple off José Buttó in the sixth, -20.8% WPA
More from amazinavenue.com:
- Mets Morning News for March 13, 2019
- Grading the Mets’ minor league signings
- Devin Mesoraco is back after a decent 2018 with the Mets
- Jed Lowrie Resumes Baseball Activites
- Mets spring training postional battles (through March 11, 2019)
- Open Thread: Mets vs. Astros, spring training, 3/13/19
- Introducing Amazin’ Avenue FanPulse
