SAN DIEGO (AP) — Light-hitting catcher Freddy Fermin launched his first homer this season to lift the San Diego Padres over the New York Mets 3-2 on Saturday night, snapping a six-game losing streak.
Fermin was hitless in his previous 30 at-bats before his two-run shot off reliever Austin Warren (1-2) in the seventh inning.
That nullified a fine performance by Mets rookie Nolan McLean, who allowed one run on three hits and three walks in six innings.
New York had two on and one out in the eighth when Juan Soto scorched a line drive to second baseman Sung-Mun Song. He snagged it and then flipped the ball to shortstop Xander Bogaerts to double off Carson Benge at second base.
Bradgley Rodriguez (1-2) worked the seventh and got the win despite giving up Marcus Semien's tiebreaking solo homer. Mason Miller pitched a hitless ninth for his 18th save.
Padres starter Griffin Canning tossed five innings against his former team. He yielded one run and three hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Semien broke a 1-all tie in the seventh when he sent Rodriguez’s first pitch over the left-field wall. Earlier in the game, Seimen snapped an 0-for-14 skid with a single.
The Padres squandered a chance in the fifth with shoddy baserunning. Song and Fernando Tatis Jr. singled, putting runners at the corners with two outs.
Tatis broke for second on a steal attempt, which drew a fake throw from Luis Torrens. The catcher then wheeled and fired to third, where Song had bit on the deception and was retired in a rundown.
San Diego manufactured a run to tie the score in the third. Song opened with a walk, stole second and scored when Tatis’ grounder up the middle ricocheted off second base into shallow right field for an RBI single.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second on Brett Baty’s two-out RBI single.
Padres RHP Randy Vásquez (5-3, 3.31 ERA) pitches Sunday in the series finale. New York had not announced a scheduled starter.
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