The Padres beat the New York Mets 6-2 Sunday to cap a winning home stand as they head into the All-Star Break.
Manny Machado led the way with two home runs, one, a three-run shot in the first inning and the other a two-run homer in the fifth, both off Max Scherzer.
Joe Musgrove had an easier time of it than the Mets’ star, throwing six scoreless innings and striking out seven. He moves to 8-2 on the season, while Scherzer fell to 8-3.
Musgrove’s performance followed another gem by Blake Snell, the National League Pitcher of the Month for June, who pitched six scoreless innings, while giving up just one hit and striking out 11 Mets.
San Diego and New York, both falling short of expectations on the season, had identical 42-47 records entering the game, and both ended up going 6-4 in their final 10 games before the break.
The Friars, at least, may cling to their 5-1 home stand – especially after the woeful 1-5 road trip that preceded it – as yet another hopeful sign. The games at Petco Park included a sweep of the Angels and taking two straight from the Mets after dropping the series opener.
“We have the ability to go on a run and if you make a run, you’re right there, so I think more than anything, that’s something that should resonate with us, is that if we go on a good stretch, we’re going to be right there,” manager Bob Melvin said.
Meanwhile, the Padres will send two players to Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Seattle – slugger Juan Soto and closer Josh Hader.
The team resumes play Friday, and it will be a while before they’re back at Petco Park. Their 10-game trip begins in Philadelphia, with Yu Darvish set to start.