SAN DIEGO — Matt Harvey looked like himself again and the Mets found themselves in first place for the first time this season, their reward for hanging onto a 4-3 victory over the Padres on Sunday that salvaged a split in this four-game series.
The Mets got a pair of run-scoring singles from Asdrubal Cabrera, another from Eric Campbell, and a solo shot from Yoenis Cespedes, his 11th home run of the season. In the eighth inning, reliever Antonio Bastardo escaped a near-impossible bases-loaded jam.
All of it was enough to preserve a win for Harvey, who finished with a season-high 10 strikeouts. It was the 11th double-digit strikeout game of Harvey’s career, though only his first in six starts this season.
For the first time this season, the Mets (19-11) find themselves where they ended last regular season, in the driver’s seat of the National League East. The Nationals relinquished their lead earlier in the day, when they took their final loss in a four-game sweep to the surging Cubs.
Harvey entered just 2-4 with a 4.76 ERA, pedestrian numbers for the purported staff ace. But aside from a two-run shot to Christian Bethancourt in the fifth inning that brought the Padres to within one run, Harvey authored his best outing of the season.
Harvey walked two but displayed the sharpest command of his arsenal this season. With a hail of well-placed fastballs, he muted the Padres, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings.
The Mets also caught some good fortune, cutting down the potential tying run at the plate in the fifth inning, on a play that survived a Padres’ challenge.
With two down and the Padres trailing 3-2, opposing pitcher Andrew Cashner tried to score from first base on Jon Jay’s double to right. Cashner slid headfirst, then attempted to sneak his hand onto the plate before Kevin Plawecki could make the tag.
Umpires ruled Cashner out though it appeared on replays that the call would be overturned. But after 1 minute, 52 seconds, Cashner was ruled out and Harvey escaped with the lead.
After Harvey’s departure after six innings, the bullpen inherited a two-run edge and quickly set about making it appear rather precarious.
Jim Henderson was first. In the seventh, he surrendered a one-out double to Bethancourt, whose tricky hop grounder got past second baseman Wilmer Flores. Bethancourt advanced to third on a flyout, before scoring on a balk. Henderson’s front leg grazed the top of the pitcher’s mound during his delivery, causing him to lose his footing and give the Padres a gift run.
In the eighth, lefty specialist Jerry Blevins allowed a leadoff single to Jay, the Padres centerfielder who was a nuisance to the Mets throughout the series. Setup man Addison Reed entered the fray and gave up a broken-bat infield single to Wil Myers and a soft single to left by Matt Kemp.
Suddenly, the Padres had loaded the bases with no one out, prompting Terry Collins to summon his third reliever of the frame to protect a one-run advantage.
In came lefty Bastardo, who delivered the escape act of the season.
He whiffed pinch hitter Derek Norris and got Melvin Upton Jr. to pop up, leaving just Alexei Ramirez standing between the Mets and a much-needed reprieve.
Bastardo quickly got ahead 0-and-2 before Ramirez fouled two pitches into the screen and another into the stands.
Plawecki signaled for an elevated fastball. Ramirez could only tip the 90-mph offering into the glove of Plawecki, who pumped his fist as the Mets jogged off the field. Another crisis had been averted.
Jeurys Familia worked a perfect ninth and improved to 10-for-10 in save chances.
..... - Newsday