Padres, Led By Machado & Bogaerts, Pull It Out Late Against Peterson, Mets

 

David Peterson facing Xander Bogaerts in the third inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets dropped the middle game of their three-game series with the San Diego Padres, 4-2, on Tuesday night at Citi Field. The Mets, who beat San Diego, in the opener, 5-0, on Monday night, are now 6-6 on the season, and Tylor Megill will take the mound in the rubber match on Wednesday afternoon against San Diego's Blake Snell.

David Peterson got the start for the Mets in this one, and the left-hander got off to a great start, as he allowed just one hit and a pair of walks, with five strikeouts, in that span.

The Mets had a great chance in the first inning against San Diego starter Ryan Weathers, son of former Mets and Yankees pitcher David Weathers. Brandon Nimmo opened the game with a walk, then Starling Marte bunted and wound up with a single, followed by a Francisco Lindor walk to load the bases. 

Weathers then struck out Pete Alonso and got Mark Canha to bounce into a double play to end the inning. 

That began a stretch for Weathers in which he retired eight Mets in a row, and that was broken by Lindor lacing a single to open the fourth inning. Alonso followed with a single, and Canha brought Lindor in with a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 Mets.

San Diego responded in the top of the fifth, as Luis Camposano opened with a single, then with one out, Brandon Dixon also singled, and then Alonso made an incredible play to nab Xander Bogaerts, as he went to his right to grab the hit, then dove into first base for the second out.

Manny Machado was up next, and he lined one just inside the line for a two-run double to give San Diego a 2-1 lead.

Weathers retired the Mets in order in the fifth, and that was all for his night, as he allowed just one run (earned) on three hits and two walks, with three strikeouts. 

San Diego's bullpen held the Mets at bay, as Brent Honeywell, Luis Garcia, and Steven Wilson pitched an inning each to get them through the eighth.

With Dennis Santana on for the Mets in the top of the ninth, Xander Bogaerts hit a blast into the second deck in left field for a two-run shot, and the Padres opened up a 4-1 lead.

The Mets put a rally together in the bottom of the ninth against San Diego closer Josh Hader, as Alonso walked to open it up, and came into score on a Tommy Pham single to make it 4-2 San Diego. The Mets would have two on base and one out, but Tomas Nido grounded back to Hader, and Francisco Alvarez struck out to end it. It was Hader's fourth save of the season.

Weathers earned the win, his first of the season, and he lowered his ERA (earned run average) to 2.70. Peterson fell to 0-2 on the young season, but he also lowered his ERA, to 4.91 from 6.00.