Mets Beat Padres 7-3 To Even Series and Force Game 3

Mets SS Francisco Lindor (Photo Credits to Brad Penner-USA Today Sports)

The New York Mets beat the San Diego Padres 7-3 tonight at Citi Field to tie the Wild Card series at 1-1 and force a deciding Game 3 tomorrow.

In the bottom of the first, CF Brandon Nimmo led off with a single, but then RF Starling Marte grounded into a double play.

SS Francisco Lindor came up next and delivered with a solo homer to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

The bats did not do much in the next couple of the innings wasting scoring opportunities, but in the bottom of the fourth 3B Eduardo Escobar and DH Darin Ruf walked to start off the inning.

Two batters later, Nimmo came through with a RBI single.

In the bottom of the fifth, 1B Pete Alonso led off and broke out of his slump with a solo homer.

After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, Lindor singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh and then advanced to second on a wild pitch by RHP Adrian Morejon.

Alonso and LF Mark Canha followed with walks to load the bases and then 2B Jeff McNeil came up next and broke the game open with a two-run double.

Escobar followed with a RBI single and then pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a much needed insurance run.

RHP Jacob deGrom cruised through the first two innings, but in the top of the third, he gave up a solo homer to CF Trent Grisham.

deGrom had a scoreless top of the fourth, but ran into trouble in the top of the fifth after he gave up a lead-off walk to Grisham and two batters later, an infield hit to LF Jurickson Profar which tied the game.

deGrom was able to recover and struck out RF Juan Soto and 1B Josh Bell to keep the game tied.

deGrom came back out for the top of the sixth and was taken out after the inning.

His final line was six innings, five hits, two runs, two walks and eight strikeouts.

He picked up the win.

RHP Edwin Diaz came in next and threw a scoreless top of the seventh. 

Diaz came back for the top of the eighth and got the first two outs and was then taken out.

RHP Adam Ottavino followed and got the last out in the top of the eighth.

Ottavino stayed in for the top of the ninth, but had a difficult loading the bases with two walks and a hit by pitch and then walked Bell to bring in a run.

RHP Seth Lugo had to come in with the based loaded and two outs and retired 3B Manny Machado on a ground-out to first to close out the game.

The Mets next game is tomorrow night, Sunday, October 9 in the deciding Game 3 of the NL Wild Card series against the Padres at 7:07 p.m.