Mets take series opener against Padres after 10th inning outburst gives them 6th straight win – The Denver Post

SAN DIEGO — After five games of stellar pitching, timely hitting and clean defense, the Mets went to San Diego and wobbled and bobbled their way through the first nine innings. The 10th, however, was a different story.

Facing the Padres in the final series before the All-Star break, the Mets showed resolve by tying the game in the fifth inning after a rocky start, then finishing the job with a four-run 10th inning to win 7-5 on Friday night at Petco Park.

It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win, and it was the Mets’ sixth in a row, a new season-high.

“We fought back on that one,” said second baseman Jeff McNeil. “Battled all night and it feels good to get that one.”

Facing left-hander Tom Cosgrove (1-2) in the 10th, McNeil, who has struggled all season but even more in recent weeks, drilled a double down the line to lead off the inning and score the ghost runner.

“In that situation, I’m just trying to get him over,” McNeil said. “It’s my job there to make sure we get Marte to third base. The hit is a bonus. I tried to take the one pitch there and hook it — hook it to the right side and was able to do it. If I didn’t I might have laid down a bunt. Just make sure he got to third.”

Francisco Alvarez then scored McNeil with a single to the right-center gap to give the Mets an important insurance run. The Mets (42-46) went on to score two more, a gritty turnaround after Starling Marte grounded into a 1-2-3 inning-ending double play to strand the bases loaded in the ninth.

Those insurance runs proved key when David Robertson gave up a two-run blast to Manny Machado in the bottom of the 10th. He retired the next two to earn his 14th save of the season.

Daniel Vogelbach went 3-for-4 with two infield singles and a game-tying RBI single, Alvarez continued his hot streak with a four-hit night and Francisco Lindor went 3-for-5 with three RBI and a home run.

Lindor’s 19th homer of the season off of Yu Darvish in the top of the third cut the Padres’ lead to 3-2. Darvish pitched well enough but didn’t last long allowed three earned on seven hits, walked three and struck out four for San Diego (41-47).

It wasn’t the most efficient or dominant start for right-hander Justin Verlander, but he got better as the game went on and managed to go six innings, keeping the Padres to three earned runs on five hits.

“I came out of the gate and didn’t have great feel,” Verlander said. “I felt like my stuff was breaking differently in the game than it was in the bullpen. I kind of had to rein that in a little bit. Obviously, you don’t want to walk the first guy of the game but of course I did that and he comes around to score. I was kind of kicking myself in the butt a little bit for that one. Just trying to find my rhythm a little bit and I was able to get there.”

Verlander got out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the Mets in the game in the third and they repaid him by tying the game in the fifth. He found his stride as the game went on. Having thrown 90 pitches after five, the Mets sent him back out for the sixth. The decision paid off: Verlander retired the side in order.

“JV, he battled the whole game,” McNeil said. “He didn’t throw the ball exactly like he wanted to, especially early. But he grinded for us and gave us six strong innings. Kept it close and we battled and fought back.”

Brooks Raley got a huge boost from left fielder Tommy Pham in the seventh, when goaded Ha-Seong Kim into trying to stretch a double into a triple and threw an absolute bullet to Luis Guillorme at third base to get the out. Kim was so upset he kicked a water cooler and injured his toe.

“He always talked about his arm and I never really believed him,” Lindor said. “Now, I can believe him.”

The Mets had a rested bullpen after Kodai Senga and Carlos Carrasco had each gone eight innings in the previous two games. This hasn’t often been the case for the Amazins this season, but it allowed the Mets to use their late-inning arms in the late innings.

“That’s a big part of it,” said manager Buck Showalter. “When guys go deep in the game, you don’t have to overuse guys.”

The Mets’ five-game winning streak showed the team what they’re capable of when they play efficient baseball. This win showed what they’re capable of when they get out of their own way.

“The belief has always been there,” McNeil said. “We know we’re a good team. We’ve been kind of waiting for this moment.”

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