Mets Fall Short Against Padres Despite McLean’s Solid Start

The Mets struggled at the plate once again, falling 3-2 to the Padres in a tightly contested matchup that saw their top hitters remain largely ineffective. Nolan McLean, while battling control issues with walks, managed to limit the damage, allowing just one run through his six innings of work.

The game’s scoring began in the second inning when Marcus Semien drew a walk, followed by A.J. Ewing’s single that ricocheted off first base. Brett Baty then delivered an RBI single into center field, bringing Semien home and giving the Mets an early lead. However, McLean faced a challenge in the bottom of the second, allowing a two-out walk to Xander Bogaerts after retiring the first five batters he faced. He recovered to help end the inning, as Jared Young grounded out.

In the third inning, McLean walked leadoff hitter Sung-Mun Song, who promptly stole second base. After Freddy Fermin’s failed bunt attempt led to a pop-out, McLean stumbled while delivering a pitch to Fernando Tatis, Jr. Fortunately, he remained unscathed, but Tatis capitalized with a single that scored Song, leveling the game at 1-1. McLean issued another two-out walk to Ty France but managed to escape the inning without further damage, despite his pitch count beginning to climb.

The fourth inning saw Semien single to left field but caught stealing shortly thereafter. Ewing drew a walk, yet Mark Vientos struck out to end the frame in a confusing moment when Fermin threw to second base despite the absence of a play.

In the fifth, McLean allowed a single to Song, who advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Fermin. Tatis then hit a ground ball that Bo Bichette managed to stop but at the cost of injuring his left shoulder. Despite the pain, Bichette remained in the game. Song reached third after a flyout from Jackson Merrill, and Tatis attempted to steal second. In a surprising twist, Song tried to steal home but was caught in a rundown, with Torrens, Baty, and McLean involved in the tag.

Semien ignited the seventh inning with a home run, but the momentum shifted when Austin Warren took over pitching duties for McLean, who finished with a commendable 101 pitches. Warren quickly allowed a single to Song, who fell, allowing Fermin to hit a two-run home run, putting the Padres ahead 3-2. Tatis flied out to end the inning, but the damage was done.

In the eighth, the Mets’ hopes dwindled as Torrens grounded out, and despite singles from Carson Benge and Bichette, a double play turned by Song and Bogaerts halted their rally. The ninth inning saw Ewing work a two-out walk, setting the stage for Vientos, who struck out to seal the Padres’ victory.

With the series on the line, the Mets will look to bounce back tomorrow at Petco Park, as Sean Manaea is expected to take the mound against Randy Vásquez.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.