After playing 3 blowouts tin the first 3 games of the series, the Padres and Mets played a close, competitive game Sunday at Petco Park.
In the 8th inning, trailing 2-0 Jurickson Profar hit a game tying 2-run homer to right off Mets reliever Jose Butto. Profar, who has a knack for the dramatic this season, smiled and profiled towards the Padre dugout as he made his way down the line to first base. The homer was Profar's 21st of the season setting a new career high, his 79 RBI are also a career high.
Then in the 9th, Jackson Merrill walked it off with a solo home run for a 3-2 Padres win. It was the 5th time this season, Merrill has hit a tying or go-ahead homer in the 9th inning or later, that's the most all-time in MLB history for a player 21 years of age or younger.
Merrill's flair for the dramatic and his impressive hitting and fielding stats have positioned him as the favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year award.
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In the 4th inning the Mets broke a scoreless game when J.D. Martinez hit a 427 foot home run to center field.
Martin Perez ran into more trouble later in the inning, before departing with the bases loaded. However, Padres reliever Bryan Hoeing came in and got out of the bases loaded jam without allowing a run.
The Mets added a second run on another solo homer, this time it was Mark Vientos with a 430 foot shot to center field in the 7th inning off reliever Jason Adam for a lead. It was the first run Adam has allowed since joining the Padres, he had pitched 9 and a third scoreless innings before the Vientos homer.
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Mets pitcher Jose Quintana came in with a 6-9 record and 4.71 era, but he was much better than his stats Sunday at Petco Park. Quinta pitched 6 and a third scoreless innings, allowing just 4 hits.
The Padres had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the 7th. With runners on the corners, David Peralta hit a ball down the 3rd baseline that was ruled foul by an inch, then hit a ball down the 1st baseline that was ruled foul by a couple inches. Peralta didn't get a chance to finish his at-bat in the inning because Jackson Merrill was thrown out trying to steal second to end the scoring threat.
Next up the Padres head to St. Louis for a 4-game series against the Cardinals.
Before Sunday's game, Padres pitcher Yu Darvish threw a simulated 3 innings on the mound at Petco Park. Facing minor league players from the Padres affiliate in Lake Elsinore, Darvish threw 54 pitches and got 13 outs. Darvish is trying to work his way back to the active roster after an extended absence due to a family matter.
