Mets Beat Padres 6-2 to split four game series behind Marcus Stroman and timely hitting

Mets RHP Marcus Stroman (Credits to Getty Images) The New York Mets beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 this afternoon in San Diego for their second consecutive win to split their four game series and improved their record to 29-23. The offesne was held scoreless for the two innings against Padres starter RHP Chris Paddick, but broke through in the top of the third inning after 2B Jose Peraza hit a ground-ball double, RHP Marcus Stroman followed with a sacrifice bunt and then RF Billy McKinney drove in the first run of the game with a RBI single. LF Dom Smith hit a solo homer in the top of the fourth inning. The bats went quiet for the next two innings unti the top of the seventh after Peraza hit a bunt single with two outs and then Stroman helped out his own cause with a RBI double. In the following inning, 1B Pete Alonso reached base on a hit by a pitch and then two batters later, catcher James McCann broke the game open with a two-run homer. Stroman cruised through his first four innings, but he ran into trouble in the bottom of the fifth after he gave up a single to 1B Eric Hosmer, walked RF Wil Myers, and gave up a single to 3B Ha-Seong Kim to load the bases. Stroman was then helped out by his defense after 3B Brandon Drury fielded catcher Webster Rivas grounder and then stepped on third and threw to first to complete the double play and get out of the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Stroman made a poor throw to first base on a routine grounder by SS Fernande Tatis and then Alonso missed the throw whcih allowd Tatis Jr to advanced to third. Stroman then gave up a grounder to 1B Eric Hosmer which allowed the run to score. Stroman gave up a ground-rule double to LF Tommy Pham with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and was then taken out. RHP Miguel Castro had to come in and retired CF Jurickson Profar to fly out on three pitches to end the inning. Stroman's final line was 6.2 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, (zero earned runs), four walks and seven strikeouts. He picked up his fifth win and lowered his ERA to 2.41. Castro stayed in for the bottom of the eighth and threw a scoreless inning. RHP Trevor May came on in the bottom of the ninth and gave up two hits and a run on a ground-out by Pham on a fielder's choice, but May was able to close out the game. The Mets are off tomorrow and return to action on Tuesday, June 8th at the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05 p.m.