A strong start from Nolan McLean went unrewarded as the New York Mets surrendered a late lead in a 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Saturday night at Petco Park. The defeat dropped New York to 28-36, while San Diego improved to 33-30 and snapped a six-game losing streak.
McLean battled through traffic all evening and delivered one of his grittiest outings of the season. The rookie right-hander allowed one run on three hits over six innings, striking out five and working around three walks across 101 pitches. Defensive help from Bo Bichette and a heads-up play by catcher Luis Torrens helped McLean escape a pair of jams, and he left with a 2-1 lead.
The Mets opened the scoring in the second when A.J. Ewing singled and later came home on Brett Baty’s two-out RBI single. San Diego tied the game in the third, but Marcus Semien put New York back in front in the seventh with a leadoff home run, his fourth long ball in the last 11 games.
That advantage disappeared quickly. Austin Warren retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh before allowing an infield hit. Freddy Fermin followed with a two-run homer to left field, giving the Padres their first lead of the night.
New York had opportunities to answer. Carson Benge and Bichette reached in the eighth, but a sharp liner from Juan Soto turned into an inning-ending double play. The Mets finished 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and managed just six hits. Semien reached base three times, while Ewing added a hit and two walks.
The series concludes Sunday at Petco Park with first pitch scheduled for 4:10 p.m. The Mets have not yet announced a starting pitcher, while San Diego is expected to send right-hander Randy Vásquez (3.31 ERA) to the mound.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.