New York Mets vs San Diego Padres Box Score on Jul 27, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 28, 2017

SAN DIEGO -- Dusty Coleman hit a three-run homer, and Manuel Margot had a leadoff blast and two-run double Thursday night as the Padres defeated the New York Mets 7-5 to gain a split of their four-game series.

Padres right-hander Luis Perdomo (5-5) allowed four runs, nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

Left-hander Brad Hand, who became San Diego's closer when Brandon Maurer was traded to the Kansas City Royals on Monday, got his second save in as many nights and fifth of the season.

The Padres chased Mets right-hander Chris Flexen three innings into his major league debut.

Flexen took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits, four walks and a hit batter with two strikeouts.

After New York's Michael Conforto doubled to open the game and came around to score on two ground outs, Flexen gave up a homer to the first hitter he faced, then watched two Padres get thrown out at the plate.

Margot opened the bottom of the first with a 358-foot homer into the left-field-corner seats. It was Margot's fourth game-opening homer of the season, one shy of the franchise record set by Will Venable in 2011.

Flexen walked Carlos Asuaje and gave up a single to Wil Myers with both runners advancing on an infield out.

Then the game took a strange twist.

Cory Spangenberg topped a ball between the mound and the plate. Asuaje tried to score and was initially ruled save by plate umpire Vic Carapazza. However, Mets manager Terry Collins challenged the call, and Asuaje was ruled out after a 80-second review.

Myers then tried to score from third on a fake double steal, only to be thrown out at the plate by second baseman Wilmer Flores. This time the Padres challenged the call ... and lost.

Flexen's debut didn't improve in the second.

Jabari Blash singled, Flexen hit Coleman with a pitch, and Luis Torrens walked to load the bases. After Perdomo struck out, Margot drove a two-run double to center with Torrens scoring on an error to make it 4-1.

Margot had a career-high three RBIs after two innings.

Coleman, who was hitting .209 at Triple-A El Paso when he was promoted Monday after shortstop Erick Aybar fractured his left foot, hit his first major league home run in the fifth off Tyler Pill. The first two batters in the inning were retired before Pill issued back-to-back walks in front of Coleman.

The Mets climbed back into the game with a four-run seventh that was extended when the Padres were unable to convert consecutive double-play opportunities.

With a runner on first and two out, Asdrubal Cabrera singled and Yoenis Cespedes followed with a RBI double. Left-hander Hector Torres replaced Perdomo and balked home Cabrera before giving up a two-run homer to Jay Bruce, who was playing first in place of the traded Lucas Duda.

San Diego rookie right-hander Phil Maton got the final out in the seventh and struck out the side in the eighth, setting it up for Hand.

NOTES: The Mets traded 1B Lucas Duda to Tampa Bay for RHP Drew Smith. RHP Chris Flexen, who was called up from Double-A Binghamton to start Thursday's series finale against the Padres, took Duda's immediate spot on the 25-man roster, although Dominic Smith is expected to be promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas to play first. Drew Smith was optioned to Binghamton. ... The Padres promoted LHP Kyle McGrath from Double-A San Antonio to strengthen their bullpen and optioned RHP Kyle Lloyd back to Triple-A El Paso. ... San Diego INF Yangervis Solarte (oblique) began what is expected to be a short rehab assignment with El Paso on Thursday. ... Padres C Austin Hedges will catch five to seven innings in the rookie-level Arizona League on Friday as a final step before being activated from the concussion disabled list.