SAN DIEGO — The Mets escaped being no-hit for the ninth time in franchise history, perhaps the only consolation prize during Thursday night’s 5-3 loss to the Padres.
Padres righthander Colin Rea, 25, lost his no-hitter with two outs in the seventh on Yoenis Cespedes’ single to right against the shift. The Mets managed only one run against the Padres’ starter, a solo homer by Curtis Granderson in the ninth, when Rea was given a chance to record his first career shutout.
Cespedes added to the intrigue when he hit a two-run homer off Brad Hand, who had entered in relief of Rea. But closer Fernando Rodney got the final two outs and shut the door on the Mets, who endured Jacob deGrom’s worst start of the season.
The righthander invited more scrutiny about his diminished fastball velocity, allowing a season-high three earned runs in a season-low five innings. He gave up eight hits, tying a season high.
Mets pitchers entered the game having allowed a league-low 12 homers, but Wil Myers and Derek Norris hit solo shots. Rea had a two-out RBI single in the second, and the Mets also allowed an unearned run in the sixth on Michael Conforto’s throwing error.
With that, the Mets began their 11-game West Coast swing with their third defeat in their last five games.
Rea had retired 19 straight Mets since walking David Wright in the first inning. But Cespedes singled through the vacated right side of the infield, beating the shift and ending a bid for history. The Padres, who have played 7,517 games in team history, remain the only club in the big leagues that has never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter.
Until Thursday, deGrom could shrug about all the panic regarding his velocity. After all, he had produced results. He entered his fourth start of the season 3-0 with a 1.02 ERA.
But the Padres punished deGrom, who worked with little margin for error. His fastball lingered in the 92-mph range, well off the 95 mph he averaged a season ago. That deGrom lacked his typical command only compounded his troubles.
Through his first three starts, deGrom had allowed only one extra-base hit, and that was a double. But two batters into his night against the Padres, Myers ripped a solo shot to straightaway centerfield.
Two batters later, Brett Wallace banged a double off the rightfield wall, setting the tone for a rough evening.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead when Rea lashed a single to centerfield for his first big-league RBI. In the third, Alexei Ramirez flared a two-out RBI double just inside the leftfield line.
Through it all, deGrom shook his head and muttered on the mound, betraying his usual demeanor. Every movement revealed another sliver of frustration until it was finally over.
While deGrom fretted, Rea spent the evening in cruise control. He could thank his defense.
In the third, Padres centerfielder Jon Jay ranged deep into the gap in left-center to take away a sure extra-base hit by Granderson. From the mound, Rea acknowledged the gem by waving his cap.
In the sixth, Granderson lost another hit when shortstop Ramirez, shifted to the right side of second base, made a nifty sliding stop.
It was one of several times that the Padres deprived the Mets of a hit because of the shift. Of course, a shift would later end the no-hit bid. Cespedes’ seventh-inning single came with just one infielder — first baseman Myers — playing on the right side. The crowd at Petco Park extended a loud ovation for Rea, who allowed one run in eight innings-plus.
..... - Newsday