Field Level Media
May 8, 2019
Hunter Renfroe greeted Mets reliever Tyler Bashlor with a tie-breaking homer leading off the seventh Wednesday afternoon, and the host San Diego Padres scored a 3-2 victory over New York in the rubber match of a three-game series at Petco Park.
Renfroe hit a high fly into the left field stands on Bashlor's second pitch. It was his ninth homer of the season -- but his fifth in the last 12 games, all of which have given the Padres a lead.
Reliever Gerardo Reyes, who was recalled from Triple-A El Paso earlier Wednesday, had worked San Diego out of a jam in the top of the inning. He entered the seventh with Mets on second and third with one out and responded by striking out Tomas Nido and Todd Frazier on six pitches -- all six swings-and-misses.
Reyes (2-0), who worked a perfect 1 2/3 innings, got credit for the win. Bashlor (0-1), who gave the home run and a walk in one inning of work, took the loss. Kirby Yates, who suffered back-to-back losses to the Dodgers over the weekend, picked up his 15th save in as many chances -- striking out three in the ninth around an infield single and a walk.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the first as Jeff McNeil opened the game with a double and scored on Amed Rosario's single to center.
Nido then gave the Mets a 2-1 lead in the top of the second with his first homer of the season off Padres starter Matt Strahm. Eric Hosmer's sixth homer of the season -- and his fifth in his last 17 games -- got the Padres within a run in the bottom of the second.
Strahm helped the Padres draw even against Mets starter Wilmer Font, whom the Mets acquired from Tampa Bay two days ago for a player-to-be-named later or cash. Strahm reached on a one-out double in the third and scored on Franmil Reyes' two-out, RBI single.
Michael Conforto drew a walk from Strahm to open the seventh and stole second. But he was unable to score on Brandon Nimmo's one-out double off the glove of Padres center fielder Manuel Margot at the wall. That hit ended Strahm's game and brought in Reyes, who froze the runners at second and third.
Font gave up two runs on three hits over four innings in his Mets debut. Strahm surrendered two runs on six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
--Field Level Media