SAN DIEGO — The rivalry between the Mets and the San Diego Padres won’t be an precise rivalry simply but, however going again to the 2022 NL wild card collection, practically each recreation they’ve performed towards each other has been entertaining.
That was true Monday night time at Petco Park in a back-and-forth battle between two groups each vying for playoff spots within the Nationwide League. The Padres walked it off in dramatic vogue to take the primary recreation of the collection, 7-6, ending the Mets’ seven-game profitable streak.
“I thought it was a great game,” stated Mets DH Mark Vientos, who hit his first profession grand slam within the fifth inning. “We’re talking about two playoff teams, and I thought it was a great game. It was a pretty long game, too. We were going back and forth, and they just came out on top today.”
It was lengthy: three hours and 21 minutes to be actual, hardly sufficient time for the entire motion that occurred.
Vientos, on the heart of commerce rumors, gave the Mets (62-45) a lead within the prime of the fifth along with his slam. The Padres (58-49) took it again within the backside of the inning, scoring 5 runs off of right-hander Frankie Montas and Huascar Brazobán.
Rookie third baseman Ronny Mauricio hit a game-tying residence run off nearer Robert Suarez (3-4) within the prime of the ninth, however the Padres struck once more within the backside of the inning with a well-recognized face in the course of all of it, former Mets infielder Jose Iglesias.
He laid down a bunt with a runner on first, and new Mets’ left-hander Gregory Soto fielded cleanly, however turned to throw to Francisco Lindor at second and threw it extensive, pulling him off the bag. The runners have been protected. Soto received two outs, together with the lead runner at third, however that also left runners on first and second.
Elias Diaz, San Diego’s No. 9 hitter, hit a line drive to left area to attain Iglesias.
The one factor to say at that time was, after all, OMG.
“He just got him there after we didn’t make a play,” stated supervisor Carlos Mendoza.
There have been bat flips, highlight-reel catches, a pitcher practically hit within the head by a comebacker and, oh yeah, Mendoza was ejected within the third inning for arguing balls and strikes with residence plate umpire Emil Jimenez.
“He had a rough night,” Mendoza stated. “There’s no way to sugarcoat it there, especially when you’re talking about a couple of at-bats there for [Juan] Soto. Some key at-bats, you’re talking about one of the best hitters in the game, and you’re taking the bat away from him. And I felt like that first at-bat, [Brandon Nimmo] struck out on three pitches that weren’t close, so he just had a bad night.”
Tensions boiled over within the third inning when Soto, who spent a part of the 2022 season and your complete 2023 season in San Diego, checked out a referred to as strike three from Dylan Stop to finish an eight-pitch at-bat. Soto, who doesn’t sometimes present a lot emotion, was visibly upset, held again by first base coach Antoan Richardson.
Mendoza leapt from the dugout to take care of Jimenez for Soto.
“I’ve got to be the one getting thrown out, whether it’s Soto or any of our players,” Mendoza stated. “I knew from the very beginning after a couple of calls early in the game that I needed to be on top of it. Whether it’s Soto or anybody on the roster, I’ve got to go out there and protect them.”
Mendoza lauded Soto for a way he dealt with himself the remainder of the best way in a hostile environment. The slugger went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, however he reached base on a force-out and stole second, coming residence on the grand slam from Vientos.
“Even on a night where he’s not getting results, he’s playing the game the right way,” Mendoza stated.
Montas (3-2) struggled to find. He couldn’t generate many whiffs along with his splitter, or actually any of his different pitches, and threw largely fastballs within the backside of the fifth when the Padres knocked him from the sport. The grand slam gave Montas a 5-1 result in work with, however it was 6-5 by the point Brazobán completed the inning.
“That was huge to see Vientos have a really good day today at the plate,” Montas stated. “I definitely wanted to go out there and hold the game.”
He gave up a leadoff double to Fernando Tatis Jr., and Luis Arraez then banked a excessive fly off the foul pole for a house run, flipping his bat between residence plate and first base.
Montas was charged with 5 earned runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out three in solely 4 1/3 innings.
“I was probably trying to do too much, to be honest,” Montas stated. “Trying to kind of like, trick them, but they’re a really good-hitting team and they don’t swing at everything.”
Vientos went 2-for-4 to increase his hitting streak to seven video games. He practically homered in his second at-bat as effectively, however Tatis robbed him with a leaping catch over the fence.
“Made a heck of a play and I was like, ‘Damn nice play,’” Vientos stated. “Amazing.”
Initially Revealed: July 29, 2025 at 2:20 AM EDT
