In Ryan Bergert’s return to the Padres, San Diego gutted out a 7-1 win against former Padre Sean Manaea.  

After taking a walk-off win in the first game of this series, San Diego looked to seal a series win.

Ryan Bergert was recalled to start the game so San Diego could give Yu Darvish an extra rest day before he starts Wednesday’s series finale. Bergert was efficient in his return to the Major Leagues, as he allowed only one run in four-plus innings of work. The right-hander was not afraid of a potent Mets lineup, attacking early and keeping the ball in the zone. Of his 83 pitches, 50 went for strikes). Bergert tallied up four strikeouts while also walking four, with two walks coming in his final inning of work. The Padres’ right-hander worked into the fifth inning, but loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth inning.

Brilliant sequencing and execution from Ryan Bergert tonight!

His season ERA: 2.78pic.twitter.com/SpIA2k9y4n

— Diego Garcia (@StatNerd_Base) July 30, 2025

Mike Shildt was aggressive in his managing in the frame, as with the bases loaded and the top of the Mets’ order coming up, Jeremiah Estrada was summoned from the bullpen. Estrada punched out Francisco Lindor on a high 98.1 mph fastball. Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza, seeing his team’s scoring opportunity, turned to pinch-hitter Starling Marte in lieu of Tyrone Taylor; Taylor replaced Juan Soto in the Mets lineup after New York’s right fielder exited the game after fouling a ball off his left foot. Marte hit a fly ball to center field, where Fernando Tatis Jr made the catch to aim for the out at the plate. His throw was just off the mark, and the Mets’ Brett Baty tied the game at one. 

San Diego made Mets starter Sean Manaea work in his five innings, putting up longer and longer at-bats. Jake Cronenworth faced Manaea twice, but worked the southpaw for 23 pitches. Manaea would exit after 86 pitches in five innings, turning the game over to the Mets’ bullpen. After a scoreless sixth from Wandy Peralta, Luis Arraez reached on a one-out single. On a 2-2 sinker from Mets reliever Jose Butto, Jackson Merrill hit a ground ball into right field. Right fielder Starling Marte, not the same flight of foot outfielder as he was with the Pirates, took a long time to reach the ball, and Merrill made it to third base with Arraez scoring on the play. 

Jackson Merrill bounces a go-ahead triple over Pete Alonso‘s head and into the right-field corner. The Padres lead 2-1. pic.twitter.com/URPmcOtWN0

— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) July 30, 2025

San Diego poured it on in the seventh, with a bloop single from Jose Iglesias and a 99.3 mph liner up the middle from Cronenworth setting up the party for Elias Diaz. Rather than turn to the slumping Trenton Brooks, Shildt elected to let Diaz hit for himself; the Padres catcher was coming off a two-hit game with a game-winning hit after all. Diaz rewarded his manager’s trust with a two-run double down the line. Diaz is now 6-for-21 in his last seven games, hitting .286 with a homer and seven RBI. Luis Arraez drew a rare walk to chase Butto, and the Mets called upon veteran Chris Devenski to face… Manny Machado. 

Okay, Díaz ? pic.twitter.com/xEGNz9GOIR

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 30, 2025

Some context for the next plate appearance: Chris Devenski’s main two pitches are the changeup and the slider, both of which can break into the middle of the zone and hang. Manny Machado crushes pitches that are breaking or off-speed offerings down the heart of the plate. Machado fouled off a hanging changeup from Devenski for strike one. Two pitches later, he did not miss, turning on an 83 mph changeup over the heart of the plate for a three-run homer to send Petco Park into a frenzy. San Diego now led 7-1.

Petco Park got LOUD for Manny Machado’s homer ? pic.twitter.com/cl7btGTSHq

— MLB (@MLB) July 30, 2025

Ron Marinaccio came on for his first outing in front of the Friar Faithful and turned in a 1-2-3 eighth inning with a strikeout. His sequencing generated some ugly swings from the Mets, especially on a strikeout to Starling Marte. While he allowed the first runner of the ninth to reach, Marinaccio has been impressive in his first two Padres outings. Yuki Matsui came on with a 7-1 cushion and retired the final three batters for a Padres win. 

Yu Darvish toes the rubber for the Padres in the series finale, looking to bounce back from a tough outing in St. Louis; Clay Holmes starts the finale for the Mets.

Diego Garcia

A born and raised San Diegan, Diego Garcia is a lifetime Padres fan and self-proclaimed baseball nerd. Diego wrote about baseball on his own site between 2021-22 before joining the East Village Times team in 2024. He also posts baseball content on his YouTube channel “Stat Nerd Baseball”, creating content around trades, hypotheticals, player analyses, the San Diego Padres, and MLB as a whole.

A 2024 graduate of San Diego State, Diego aims to grow as a writer and content creator in the baseball community.