The Mets were spanked on Saturday night, but repaid the Padres — at a possible additional cost. They salvaged this series and this road trip with a roaring win over San Diego, but it may or may not have come with a dark spot: Yoenis Cespedes had to leave this game after jamming his thumb on a steal of third.
Zack Wheeler took on Bryan Mitchell on a sunny afternoon and struggled right off the bat, needing 30 pitches to secure three outs in the first inning. Fortunately, he was able to keep the Padres away from the plate and even more fortunately, he was already working with a 1-0 lead. With two outs in the top of the first, Yoenis Cespedes boomed a double to right center and Jay Bruce singled up the middle. The Mets wasted no time adding on. In the top of the second, Jose Reyes drew a one-out walk. Summoning his gone-by youth, he stole second. Tomas Nido knocked him home with a bouncer to center. The lead expanded to 4-0 in the third, but here came payment time. With one out, Cespedes drilled a single to right center and stole second. Bruce walked. With Todd Frazier at the plate, Cespedes and Bruce pulled off a double steal. On the slide into third, though, Cespedes appeared to bang his left thumb on the bag. After a consult with the trainers, he stayed in to run — or more accurately, trot. After Frazier grounded out, Adrian Gonzalez boomed a long double off the base of the wall in right center.
Wheeler continued to pitch inefficiently, but effectively. He gave back the two runs in the bottom of the third. Old nemesis Eric Hosmer led off with a base hit to Brandon Nimmo, replacing Cespedes in left. After Christian Villanueva struck out, Franchy Cordero also hit a single to left. Jose Pirela hit a grounder to Reyes at short. Reyes passed up the force at second, and the Padres had second-and-third with two outs. Phormer Phillie Freddy Galvis (I resisted the temptation) hit one up the middle for a base hit and the score was 4-2. There it stayed until the seventh inning. Wheeler steadied himself, ending the day with five innings pitched, surrendering six hits and those two earned runs, walking two and striking out nine. San Diego pulled Mitchell with two outs in the fifth, in favor of Jordan Lyles. The Mets pecked at him for two innings, but couldn’t break through. That ended in the seventh, though. Nimmo led off with a hot single to center. After Bruce popped out — hitting the ball to the left side, so Galvis had to run a mile to catch it — Frazier pulled a base hit into left. Gonzales then hit a shot the opposite way that carried over the left field fence and the rout was on. Reyes singled. That was all for Lyles, replaced in a double switch. Phil Maton faced Nido and walked him. Paul Sewald, having relieved Wheeler in the fifth, was left in to bunt the runners along. Asdrubal Cabrera gave the Mets a 9-2 lead with hard single to right. Oh, but the Mets wouldn’t stop there.
Kazuhisha Makita replaced Maton and gave up a single to Bruce, leading off the eighth. Frazier pulled an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence for an 11-2 lead. After Gonzalez flied out, Reyes hit his first homer of 2018. Nido struck out, Wilmer Flores pinch-hit for Sewald and walked. Cabrera singled and Michael Conforto and Nimmo followed with base hits and the lead was suddenly 14-2. Robert Gsellman pitched a scoreless eighth and Matt Harvey mopped up the ninth and the Mets headed home happy, but concerned for Cespedes.
Off-day tomorrow, before the Braves arrive on Tuesday. Sean Newcombe will face Noah Syndergaard.
Offense is fun! This is the most runs scored this year for the Mets.
A 30-pitch first inning did Wheeler in. Well, maybe it didn’t do him in but it kept him from pitching more than 5 innings. Callaway PH for Wheeler after he reached 95 pitches. It was far from a no-brainer whether or not to PH for him at that point. At least it wasn’t a slam dunk if you believe a pitcher can throw 115 pitches without his arm exploding. Can’t use weather as an excuse when you’re playing in SD.
Wow was that refreshing to win a laugher.
I wonder if Nimmo has ever played 1B in his life.
Just when Agon seed the last nail in his career, he steps up.
Nimmo has played 705 games combining his time in the majors and minors and not once did he play 1B.
It has been good a April. Wheeler pitched well enough.His 4.06 ERA and 3.68 FIP is fine for a third starter in the rotation, just need a little more length. Sewald has filled the role of a reliable multi inning middle relief pitcher and has been an early season surprise. AGon picked a good game to break out with Cespedes getting hurt. He will get more time to build on this success and see if there is anything left.
Anytime you get out of a month with fewer than 10 losses, you’re doing OK.