Fernando Tatis Jr. took the middle game out of the Mets’ hands early, and the Padres rode that advantage to a 5-2 win Tuesday night.
Tatis did the heavy lifting himself, crushing two home runs in the first five innings and driving in three runs. That was enough to put San Diego in control before the Mets could ever really settle in, and it left starter Zac Thornton chasing the game from the jump.
Thornton worked five innings, allowed three earned runs on two homers, struck out seven and walked one. It was another of those outings where he held things together for a while, but couldn’t quite keep the big swing from breaking things open.
The Mets did get a little pop of their own, just not nearly enough. Luis Torrens and Luis Robert Jr. each hit solo home runs for the only New York runs of the night.
Torrens’ strong run kept rolling, and Robert added one more encouraging line even if he is more than likely not a Met next season. Bo Bichette chipped in two hits, and first baseman [checks notes] Christopher Morel added one hit.
Beyond that, the Mets were mostly limited to a few walks and not much else.
Robbie Ray played his part in shutting things down for San Diego. Over six innings, he gave up three hits, three walks, and struck out four. He didn’t overpower the Mets, but he kept them from getting comfortable and prevented any real rally from forming.
The Padres added on later, with Ty France singling home Jase Bowen in the seventh off Jack Weisenburger and Manny Machado launching a solo homer in the ninth off Dedniel Nuñez. By then, the shape of the game had already been set. After four straight games that suggested the Mets had some life, this one looked flat.
The series wraps Wednesday in a matinee at Citi Field, with Robert Stock making his fourth start of the season against Michael King.
In Other News...
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Iglesias has talked about how much that Mets chapter meant to him, even as his career has taken him from the diamond to the stage. He has also framed the Broadway move as a chance to honor Cuban music in a serious way, which gives this next act a clear purpose beyond novelty. For Mets fans, the part that lingers is how abruptly that relationship ended, and how quickly a player who helped define a slice of last seasons story wound up chasing a completely different kind of debut. [Read more 🡒]
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Jose Iglesias Gave Mets Fans A Feeling This Team Still Needs
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Iglesias also made it clear he still believes he can play, even as his next step takes him away from baseball for a while and into a Broadway role beginning Aug. 27. For the Mets, the larger point is harder to ignore: this was a player whose resilience and energy helped shape a group that improved when its playoff odds still looked like a long shot. Losing that kind of voice is part of what makes his departure feel bigger than a simple roster move. [Read more 🡒]