Mets Beat Padres 6-1 To Take Series Powered By Nimmo and Stellar Start From Tong

 

Mets RHP Jonah Tong (Photo Credits to SNY.TV)

The New York Mets beat the San Diego Padres 5-1 at Citi Field this afternoon to take two out of three games in the series and improved their record to 79-74.

The Met offense got off to a fast start in the bottom of the first after 1B Pete Alonso hit a solo homer.

After a scoreless bottom of the second, CF Cedric Mullins singled to lead off the bottom of third and RF Francisco Lindor followed with a single to advance Mullins to third. RF Juan Soto then drove in Mullins with a RBI ground-out. 

Alonso then walked and LF Brandon Nimmo came up next and broke the game open with a three-run homer.

In the bottom of the seventh, Lindor led off with a walk and then Soto followed with a single. 1B Pete Alonso then drove in Lindor with a sacrifice fly.

RHP Jonah Tong got off to a rocky start in the top of the first after he gave up a one-out single to 2B Luis Arraez and then gave up a line drive to 3B Manny Machado over Nimmo's head, but fortunately Machado was thrown out at second. Tong then struck out CF Jackson Merrill to end the inning.

Tong had a scoreless top of the second and then gave up an unearned run in the top of the third.

Tong cruised after that and finished up strong with scoreless innings in the top of the fourth and fifth innings.

He struck out four consecutive hitters between the fourth and fifth innings and retired the last eight hitters he faced.

Tong had much better command of his fastball topping out at 96 mph and was able to throw it up in the zone which helped result in swings and misses.

He showed a lot more confidence than in his last start and relied on his best pitch his fastball rather than his off speed pitches with change-ups and curveballs.

Tong's final line was five innings, four hits, one unearned run, 0 walks and 8 eight strikeouts.

He picked up his second career win.

RHP Tyler Rogers followed with a scoreless top of the sixth.

LHP Brooks Raley came in next and threw a scoreless top of the seventh.

LHP Gregory Soto threw a scoreless top of the eighth.

RHP Edwin Diaz closed it out with a scoreless top of the ninth.

The Mets next game is tomorrow night, Friday, September 19 at home against the Washington Nationals at 7:10 p.m.