Talk around the San Diego Padres was the offense might have been turning a corner when Freddy Fermin hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that helped them beat the visiting New York Mets on Saturday night. The teams returned to the field on Sunday, and the Padres proved that theory was inaccurate.
San Diego was down early, and it stayed that way throughout the game. New York scored runs in the first, second, fifth, sixth and eighth innings and took the three-game series with a 7-3 win. The floundering Padres offense was outhit 13-7 and five of the 13 hits for the Mets came from rookie Carson Benge who finished the day 5-for-5 with three singles, a home run and a triple. He also scored three runs and had two RBI.
The offensive bright spot for San Diego was once again Fermin, who hit his second two-run home run in as many days. This is the part where you are reminded that Fernando Tatis Jr. still only has one home run. Fermin finished the afternoon 2-fo-4 with a home run and a double. He scored a run and had all three RBI for the Padres. Tatis, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Miguel Andujar and Samad Taylor each had a hit for San Diego. Andujar came out of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with an injury after he reached base on his single.
Randy Vasquez could not fool the Mets hitters, as evidenced by Benge’s success at the plate, and he allowed four runs on eight hits and lasted just four inning. Vasquez also allowed two walks and recorded just three strikeouts in the game. He was not the only Padres pitcher who struggled against the New York lineup. Yuki Matsui allowed two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings, Ron Marinaccio allowed one run on one hit and a walk in 2.1 innings, and Wandy Peralta did not allow a run but did allow two hits and issued a walk in his one inning of work.
San Diego does not get a break before the Cincinnati Reds come to town. The Padres and Reds open their three-game series tonight at 6:40 p.m.