Petco Park- San Diego, CA

The Padres entered Wednesday with a chance to sweep a very good New York Mets team. Keep in mind, the Mets came to San Diego red-hot on a seven-game winning streak. The Friars took the first two games, and Tuesday night, they did so with authority.

Yu Darvish is still looking for his normal form after a long layoff. He owned a 9.18 ERA in four starts coming into his appearance on Wednesday afternoon. Many wondered if Darvish would ever return to his previous All-Star form, or anything close.

Whatever rust he had from being injured and a long build-up after that, it’s been polished now.

The Mets had no answer for the Japanese hurler. In seven innings of work, Darvish was nearly spotless. He allowed just two hits, zero walks, and allowed zero runs with seven strikeouts. This version of Darvish was a sight for sore eyes.

Still, no matter how well Darvish pitched, the Padres needed to score runs to win. In the bottom of the first, they squandered a chance with the bases loaded but did not score.

Yu Darvish, Nasty 87mph Slider. 😨 pic.twitter.com/w1reRYKxhS

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 30, 2025

They wouldn’t let the Mets off the hook a second time. In the second inning, Manny Machado, who has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball for a week, singled home two runs with the bases loaded. That gave San Diego an early 2-0 advantage as they made Mets starter Clay Holmes labor through 3 2/3 innings. Machado is batting a mind-boggling .533 with a 1.409 OPS in his last seven games.

The Padres weren’t done. The next inning, Jose Iglesias reached on an error by shortstop Francisco Lindor, extending the inning with two outs. That gave way to Gavin Sheets, who slugged a two-run home run on an 0-2 count. His 15th homer tied a career high and gave the Padres a 4-0 lead. Sheets needed that swing, as he had struggled of late. He was just 2 for his last 20, with his last home run coming on July 9.

With how Darvish pitched on Wednesday, one run would have been enough. After Darvish finished seven, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez slammed the door shut on the Mets. Manager Mike Shildt was at liberty to utilize the top arms in his bullpen with the team having an off day on Thursday.

Suarez worked around one hit to seal a scoreless ninth. The Padres won 4-0, marking their 15th of the season, the most in the league.

Now, the Padres enter the trade deadline, with no game in between. They are riding a five-game winning streak and sit solidly in the sixth and final playoff spot and within arm’s reach of the first-place Dodgers in the NL West as well.

The next 24 hours ahead of the trade deadline will be fascinating to watch, especially with how well the Padres are now playing.

Nick Lee

Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.