Mets use five-run first inning to power past Padres, 8-3

The Mets scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back as they smacked four home runs in an 8-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

New York piggybacked Sean Manaea off Clay Holmes successfully combined to go all nine innings, allowing the three runs (all on solo home runs) on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

The Mets improved to 78-73 (47-29 at home). San Diego fell to 82-69 on the year.

Here are some takeaways…

– The Mets wasted no time jumping on Michael King in the bottom of the first:Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso all singled to center to load the bases. Brandon Nimmo poked a single the other way to plate a run, and San Diego pitching coach Ruben Niebla was out for a visit after 11 pitches. 

After Mark Vientos bounced into a 1-2-3 twin killing, Jeff McNeil came through with a two-run double that just stayed fair down the first base line, yanking a first pitch slider that floated over the plate, snapping an 0-for-11 skid. Brett Baty made it 5-0 when he clobbered a 3-1 fastball for a two-run home run to right. The 93 mph King heater on the inner-half went off the facade of the second deck, traveling 416 feet (108.2 mph off the bat) for Baty's 17th on the year.

– King’s bad day continued in the second: Lindor got a sinker up and over the plate and crushed it off the facade of the second deck in right for a solo homer (382 feet, 104 mph). It was his first dinger of the month, giving him 27 on the year and 78 batted in.  

With two down, Alonso got a sinker down and in and demolished it to the second deck in left field (430 feet, 113 mph). The slugger now has 35 homers and 118  RBI on the season.

– Cedric Mullins drilled a down-in-the-zone changeup into the Mets' bullpen (388 feet) for a leadoff shot in the fourth to end King’s night. Lefty Kyle Hart came in from the Padres ‘pen and struck out five of the first six batters he faced. After the Mullins homer, the Mets came up hitless against San Diego's relievers with only a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch over the next five frames.

–  Holmes needed 10 pitches for a 1-2-3 first, including a strikeout of Luis Arraez, who entered the night about the hardest guy to strikeout with just 20 in 627 plate appearances this season (3.19 percent). Pitching with a five-run lead, Holmes issued a leadoff walk before getting a 6-4-3 double play, with a very close call at first base going the Mets’ way. That proved big as a red-hot Jackson Merrill launched the very next pitch 431 feet to center for a solo shot.

Holmes had a six-run lead to work with in the third, but left a fatball over the plate to Jake Cronenworth, who clocked it for a 411-foot homer to just right of center. The righty threw a hanging sweeper to Manny Machado to start the fourth, but the slugger got under the ball for a flyout to left. Holmes allowed a two-out double to Ramon Laureano, but kept San Diego off the board, getting Merril swinging.  

That closed the book on Holmes: 4.0 innings, two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts on 52 pitches (34 strikes).

– With Holmes at 39 pitches and one out in the fourth inning, Manaea was seen getting loose in the bullpen. Before the game, manager Carlos Mendoza said the left-hander would get into the game regardless of how well Holmes was pitching.

And Manea got the call for the top of the fifth with the Mets ahead 8-2 and got lefty Ryan O’Hearn swinging to start a run of five straight retired before Machado looped a single the other way with two out in the sixth. The lefty then retired the next five, including getting two broken-bat comebackers in the seventh. The streak ended with one out in the eighth when Freddy Fermin drove a solo home run 327 feet to left, as a 1-0 sweeper stayed over the plate. 

Manaea surrendered a two-out double in the ninth, as he closed the door with five innings of one-run ball with four hits and four strikeouts on 71 pitches (52 strikes).

– The Mets had a scare in the bottom of the eighth inning when Francisco Alvarez was drilled by a 99 mph sinker on the left arm and had to exit the game. He was back in the dugout and on the field for the postgame celebration, however, sporting a big smile and an even bigger ice pack on the back of his arm.

– Lindor (as well as Soto and Edwin Diaz) wore No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente Day. And the shortstop wasn’t the only member of his family to star as his wife, Katia, played the national anthem on the violin.  

Game MVP: Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea

It was a group project, and everyone did their part with the starters combining well and the bats pounding out plenty of run support.

Highlights

What's next

The two sides are back in action on Wednesday night for a 7:10 p.m. first pitch.

Left-hander David Peterson (3.77 ERA, 1.324 WHIP with 148 strikeouts in 162.1 innings) takes the ball for his 29th start of the year. The visitors are sending out righty Nick Pivetta (2.73 ERA, 0.951 WHIP with 180 strikeouts in 171.1 innings) for his 30th start.

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