The Mets snapped their seven-game winning streak, losing a back-and-forth battle to the San Diego Padres, 7-6, on Monday night.
New York let up five runs in the fifth inning, blowing a 5-1 lead, and looked lost until Ronny Mauricio homered with one out in the ninth inning to tie the game at 6-6. However, new Met Gregory Soto struggled in the bottom of the ninth, including a key throwing error to extend the frame, and let up a walk-off single to Elias Díaz.
The Mets (62-45) remain 1.5 games ahead of the Phillies for first place in the NL East after Philadelphia lost to the Chicago White Sox.
Here are the takeaways…
— New York got on the board in the second inning thanks to some heads-up baserunning by Jeff McNeil. He walked and then went from first to third on Mark Vientos' single, keeping an eye on CF Jackson Merrill fielding the ball while continuing to run. Brett Baty then delivered with a sacrifice fly to left field, putting the Mets up 1-0.
— There was a scary moment in the top of the third inning as Francisco Lindor hit a hard ground ball that bounced and hit pitcher Dylan Cease in the back of the head. The ball ricocheted into foul territory around third base, allowing Lindor to advance to second. Cease stayed in the game and struck out Juan Soto after some questionable calls by home plate umpire Emil Jimenez.
Soto then got visibly upset with the strike three call, but Carlos Mendozacame out to defend him and was soon ejected.
— Vientos nearly had a home run in the top of the fourth inning, but Fernando Tatis Jr. leaped at the wall and made the catch to rob the big hit. Tatis did drop the ball out of his glove after landing, but the call on the field remained. Vientos made the most of his redemption opportunity in the fifth inning after Cease intentionally walked McNeil to get to him — launching his first career grand slam over the head of Tatis into the right field stands to put the Mets up 5-1.
— Frankie Montas tossed a quick first inning with an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, and avoided damage from a bases-loaded jam in the second by striking out Díaz. After a hit-by-pitch and walk in the third inning, Montas let up a RBI-single to Xander Bogaerts that tied the game up at 1-1. Montas then bounced back to retire the next four batters to get through the fourth inning.
Montas let up a leadoff double to Tatis that was deflected by Baty, and then a rare HR to Luis Arraez, making it a 5-3 game. Montas then gave up a single to Manny Machado and a…