The Sports Xchange
May 25, 2017
NEW YORK -- Dinelson Lamet enjoyed an impressive major league debut Thursday night when he struck out eight over five innings and earned the win as the San Diego Padres edged the New York Mets 4-3.
The Padres (18-31) took the final two games of the three-game set for their first series win since April 28-30, when they won two of three from the San Francisco Giants. San Diego went 5-14 in between series victories.
The Mets (19-26) have lost three of four and 10 of their past 13.
Lamet, a right-hander who was promoted from Triple-A El Paso prior to the game, allowed one run -- a Lucas Duda homer in the second inning -- three hits and two walks. His eight strikeouts were the most by a Padres hurler in his major league debut since Bob Shirley whiffed 11 batters on April 10, 1977.
A quintet of relievers combined to limit the Mets to two runs the rest of the way with left-hander Brad Hand earning his second save of the season -- and second in the past 24 hours -- despite allowing a run in the ninth. Hand closed the game out by retiring the potential winning run, Jay Bruce, on a popout to third.
Cory Spangenberg opened and closed the scoring for the Padres with an RBI single in the first inning and a run-scoring double in the ninth. Matt Szczur also had two RBIs via a bases-loaded walk in the first and a run-scoring single in the third.
Spangenberg, Allen Cordoba and Hunter Renfroe had two hits apiece for San Diego.
Duda added an RBI single in the eighth for the Mets, who stranded nine baserunners, including two apiece in every inning from the fifth through seventh. Jose Reyes added two hits and had a run-scoring fielder's choice grounder in the ninth.
Mets right-hander Rafael Montero (0-4) struggled in an emergency start and took the loss after giving up three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four over three innings. Montero started in place of ace right-hander Jacob deGrom, who was scratched because of a foreboding weather forecast.
The game was played without interruption, albeit through a steady mist.
NOTES: To make room for RHP Dinelson Lamet, the Padres optioned INF Carlos Asuaje to Triple-A El Paso. ... The Mets activated SS Asdrubal Cabrera from the 10-day disabled list and optioned C Kevin Plawecki to Triple-A Las Vegas. Cabrera, who had been out due to a sprained left thumb, hit into a double play as a pinch hitter in the eighth.