Takeaways from the Padres' 14-2 loss to the Mets
SAN DIEGO-- Adrian Gonzalez went 3-6 with five RBI, Zach Wheeler struck out nine in five innings, and the Mets routed the Padres 14-2 on Sunday afternoon to take the series.
The Mets improved to 17-9 while the Padres fell to 10-19.
Takeaways
Star of the game: Adrian Gonzalez
Starting in his only game of the series, former Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez made his presence felt in a big way. The 35-year-old fell a triple shy of the cycle , drove in five runs, and delivered two of the biggest hits in the ballgame.
The first came in the top of the third, when he smoked a two-RBI double off of the right-center field wall to give his team a 4-0 advantage. Then, in the top of the 7th, Gonzalez hit an opposite field three-run home run off of reliever Jordan Lyles. The home run traveled 360 feet and essentially removed any hope for a possible Padres comeback. It also was the lefty slugger's 65th home run at Petco Park, the most of any player.
A-Gon added a single in the 9th for good measure, capping an impressive 3-6 performance.
Bullpen struggles
Jordan Lyles, Phil Maton, and Kazuhisa Makita all came out of the Padres bullpen and got hit hard this afternoon.
Lyles allowed five hits and four runs in 1 2/3 innings of work, ballooning his ERA from 2.20 to 4.00. For really the first time all season, he was not sharp at all, and the Mets made him pay for it.
Maton allowed two hits and an earned run in 2/3 of an inning.
In the eighth, Kazuhisa Makita allowed six hits and five earned runs, including two home runs. He constantly allowed hard contact and has now allowed 12 earned runs in 14 innings on the year.
Kirby Yates was the only pitcher not to give up a run for the Padres on the afternoon, firing a scoreless ninth inning.
Strikeouts continue to pile up
The Padres struck out 12 more times against New York, increasing their league-leading total to 303 in 29 games.
Bright side: Manuel Margot
If there was a bright side in the 14-2 drubbing, it was Padres CF Manuel Margot. He put together some good at-bats in a 2-5 effort. It was his second straight two-hit game.
