Mets vs. Padres Recap: Salas, Ramirez, and Smoker sink the ship

The Mets did not take full advantage of a rare thing in 2017—a good start from Robert Gsellman—and dropped the second game of their series to the San Diego Padres, 6-5.

Gsellman started for the Mets, and notched his best start since April 19. He went six innings, struck out three, gave up three runs on six hits, one walk, and three strikeouts. Gsellman still doesn’t quite look like the pitcher we saw last season for the Mets, but this was a quality start, something the Mets have sorely lacked this month.

The Padres got on the board first, when Yangervis Solarte singled in a run in the top of the first inning. Padres starter Jarred Cosart struggled from the start, only escaping the first inning without giving up a run due to Jose Reyes lining into a double play. In that first inning, he gave up two hits, balked, and walked a batter.

After inducing three line outs in the second, the wheels came off Cosart in the third, where he gave up four runs, three scoring on a Wilmer Flores bases loaded double. Curtis Granderson and Michael Conforto eventually tacked on runs, Conforto’s against reliever Jose Torres in the bottom of the fourth.

In the fifth, Yangervis Solarte doubled in two more runs, but Gsellman escaped the inning with the lead. In the seventh inning, Fernando Salas loaded the bases on a hit and two walks, before Neil Ramirez gave up a two-run double to Wil Myers, tying the game.

The next inning, Josh Smoker surrendered a home run to Hunter Renfroe, which was the deciding blow for the Padres.

The Mets hope to take their second straight series tomorrow behind Jacob deGrom, who pitched an absolute gem on Friday evening against the Angels. Dinelson Lamet will start for the Padres.

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What’s WPA?

Big winners: Wilmer Flores, +48.4% WPA, Curtis Granderson, +19.3% WPA
Big losers: Rene Rivera, -34.4% WPA, Neil Ramirez, -24.4% WPA, Josh Smoker, -21.5% WPA, Jose Reyes, -19;3% WPA, TJ Rivera, -11.7% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Wilmer Flores’s bases clearing double, +31.2% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Rene Rivera strikes out in the ninth, -26.3% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: -39.4%
Total batter WPA: -10.6%
GWRBI!: Hunter Renfroe