Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mets baseball is back! After the brief All-Star Game hiatus, the Mets (58-36) were back at Citi Field taking on the Padres (53-42). This Friday evening match up marked Max Scherzer’s return to the Citi Field mound for the first time since his oblique injury. But the Mets’ bats did not show up for the game, and the Padres won 4-1.
Scherzer had a brilliant start to his night, setting down the first five batters in order and striking out four. But then things started going a bit downhill. He gave up a two-out double to Eric Hosmer in the top of the second, followed by a walk to Austin Nola, but was able to get out of the inning with no damage.
There were more issues for Scherzer in the third, as the first two batters reached thanks to a hit-by-pitch and an error by Pete Alonso. Like in the second inning, Scherzer was able to get out of the inning without giving up any runs.
Unfortunately, his luck ran out in the fourth inning. Luke Voit led off with a single, and Hosmer followed with a two-run homer to give the Padres a 2-0 lead.
Scherzer was able to turn things around in the fifth inning, setting down the side in order. The sixth inning also went well, with Hosmer grounding into a double play and Nola striking out for Scherzer’s eighth strikeout of the game.
Joely Rodriguez came on in relief for the Mets in the seventh inning. He gave up a solo home run to the leadoff batter, giving the Padres a 3-0 lead. He also gave up a single and a walk, retiring only one of the four batters he faced.
Seth Lugo came to try to get the final two outs of the inning. He walked Manny Machado, the first batter he faced, to load the bases. The next batter hit a ground ball to first, which Pete Alonso threw home to get the force out. Patrick Mazeika, who was catching in place of an injured Tomas Nido, threw into the runner trying to get the double play at first, and a run scored. Lugo then got Voit to fly out to center, but the damage was done, and the Padres had a 4-0 lead.
Trevor Williams got the eighth inning for the Mets. He walked Hosmer to start the inning, but then struck out Nola. Thanks in part to a heads-up double-play by Guillorme, Williams was able to get out of the inning easily.
Willams stayed on for the ninth inning. He retired the first two hitters on fly-outs, but then gave up a triple to Jake Cronenworth. He was able to get the next batter to pop out to Alonso in foul ground to end the inning.
Things were very quiet on the offensive side for the Mets. Starling Marte was responsible for two of the three Mets’ hits against Yu Darvish. New York only recorded one hit against the Padres bullpen, a two-out double off the bat of Luis Guillorme. Guillorme’s double drove in Jeff McNeil who had walked, scoring the Mets’ only run of the game.
There was some noise in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to an Alonso hit-by-pitch and an error by the Padres’ second baseman on what should have been an inning ended double play. The Mets had two men on with one out, but Eduardo Escobar lined out sharply to right and pinch hitter Mark Canha grounded into a force out at second, ending the threat and securing the win for the Padres.
Player of the Game: Starling Marte
On a night when the rest of the offense produced almost nothing, Marte came to play. His two hits against Darvish were half of the Mets’ total hits all game. Other than his strikeout in the fourth inning, all of Marte’s at-bats were competitive. In his final plate appearance, he lined out sharply to left.
On Deck
The Mets and Padres will play game two of their three-game series Saturday evening. Game time is 7:10 p.m. Chris Bassitt is scheduled to start for the Mets, up against Blake Snell for the Padres.
