The Mets were on the verge of getting swept in a four game series at Petco Park for the second straight year, but Johan Santana wasn’t about to let that happen. The Mets ace won his league leading 13th game of the season as he staked the Mets to a 5-1 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Santana (13-8) was brilliant and just allowed five hits and the one run. He walked two, struck out four, and lowered his ERA to 3.00. In addition to pitching eight solid innings, he also had two hits and figured into the scoring.
The Mets got on the board in the second inning when newly reacquired Anderson Hernandez drove in Jeff Francoeur, who had led off the inning with a single. They added three more runs in the sixth inning when Francoeur stroked another leadoff single followed by an Omir Santos single. Frenchy came around and scored when Johan Santana singled to center to put the Mets up 2-0. Angel Pagan then followed with a line drive off the glove of second baseman Oscar Salazar that was ruled an error and scored both Santana and Omir Santos. Daniel Murphy drove in the fifth run in the ninth inning.
It was great to see Luis Castillo who made his first start since Tuesday and went 2-5. Also, Anderson Hernandez made his first start since the Mets traded for him on Thursday, and he chipped in with an RBI single and went 2-3 in the game. Francoeur and Murphy also had two hits a piece.
Frankie Rodriguez wrapped it up with a scoreless ninth, and the Mets avoided the sweep.
They now head to the desert where Mike Pelfrey will try to pickup his ninth win of the season against Doug Davis and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Lets Go Mets!
