Savvy Snell, mashing Machado power Padres past Mets 2-1
Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Citi Field- Queens, NY
After winning the first game of this series in New York against the first-place Mets, the Padres looked to clinch a series win on Saturday. Blake Snell looked to see to it personally as he took the mound for San Diego, opposite Chris Bassitt for the Mets.
As Friday was an epic pitcher’s duel between Yu Darvish and Max Scherzer, Saturday became similar back-and-forth contest between the starters. The Mets threatened several times with multiple baserunners against Snell. In the past, Snell had let those innings unravel. This time, he buckled down and got key outs in high-pressure situations.
Snell faced multiple baserunners in the second and fifth innings. He induced a double play to end the threat in the second and struck out Starling Marte with runners on first and second in the fifth.
In the end, Snell did not allow a run in five innings of work, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out five.
Bassitt was even sharper, pitching four perfect innings before an Eric Hosmer single in the fifth ended any chance at history. He only made one mistake all game, to Manny Machado. With a runner on first in the top of the sixth, Machado lined his 16th homer of the season over the wall in left-center field. This gave the Padres a 2-0 lead.
MACHADO GOES DEEP š£š„#TimeToShine | @Padres pic.twitter.com/Z7DZvgyvkF
— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) July 24, 2022
“It was huge, with how Snell was throwing the ball today,” Machado said regarding his homer. “That’s the type of baseball we got to be playing.”
From then on, it was a battle of the bullpens with the Padres clinging to a two-run lead.
Nabil Crismatt tossed a scoreless sixth to answer Machado’s homer in the top of the inning. Adrian Morejon pitched in with an emphatic 1-2-3 seventh inning, striking out the side. He struck out four of the five batters he faced before leaving with one out in the eighth, yielding to Luis Garcia.
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— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 24, 2022
Garcia finished off a scoreless eighth to send it to the ninth, with the Padres still up two.
Taylor Rogers took the mound in the bottom of the ninth, looking to give the Padres their 11th shutout of the season and to clinch the series win. Pete Alonso led off with a single before Rogers struck out the next two batters. Luis Guillorme worked a walk to bring the winning run to the plate.
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J.D. Davis blooped a single into right, scoring one. With the score 2-1 and runners on first and third, the pressure was on for Rogers to close it out. Tomas Nido popped out to second to end the threat and the game, sealing the 2-1 win for San Diego.
The Padres clinched their second straight series win. This comes at a crucial juncture when things were starting to slide for the Friars. They now have the opportunity to sweep the NL East-leading Mets in New York on Sunday Night Baseball.
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.