Manny Machado clouted a three-run homer Tuesday night to cap a five-run seventh inning that lifted the San Diego Padres to a 7-1 win over the visiting New York Mets.
Machado’s 20th homer of the year scored Elias Diaz, whose two-run double earlier in the inning off Jose Butto (3-2) upped the margin to 4-1, and Luis Arraez. It marked the second straight game that San Diego pieced together a five-run inning.
Wandy Peralta (5-1) pitched a scoreless sixth to claim the win in relief as the Padres earned their fourth straight win and upped their lead on Cincinnati for the National League’s last wild-card spot to three games.
Neither starting pitcher was involved in the decision. New York’s Sean Manaea gave up only three hits and a run over five inning with no walks and four strikeouts, while San Diego rookie Ryan Bergert permitted two hits and a run in four-plus innings, walking four and whiffing four.
The Mets lost right fielder Juan Soto to a left foot contusion in the fourth inning after he fouled a pitch off his foot. Soto completed his at-bat and grounded out to second baseman Jake Cronenworth but departed before the bottom of the inning.
The Padres initiated the scoring in the first via Jackson Merrill’s two-out RBI single to right that chased home Fernando Tatis, who led off with a single, moved to second on Arraez’s sacrifice bunt and reached third on Machado’s fly ball to center.
New York tied the game in the fifth, although it was also a bit of a missed opportunity. Brett Baty and Brandon Nimmo sandwiched walks around a Luis Torrens single to fill the bases with no outs, chasing Bergert.
But reliever Jeremiah Estrada came in and struck out Francisco Lindor before pinch-hitter Starling Marte’s sacrifice fly to right cashed in Baty. However, Pete Alonso popped up to strand a pair.
Merrill gave San Diego the lead for good in the sixth when he chopped a triple over Alonso’s head into the right field corner, scoring Arraez from first.