Mets vs Padres Recap: Wheels up

Last night, the Mets got blown out by the Padres, spoiling the first Jason Vargas start of the season. Today, the Mets were able to turn the tables, leading to their biggest offensive game of the season, winning 14-2.

The Mets got on the board in the bottom of the first, when back to back hits by Yoenis Cespedes and Jay Bruce led to an early 1-0 lead against Padres starter Bryan Mitchell. Cespedes drove the ball to center field for a double, before being driven in by a Bruce single.

Zack Wheeler started the game, and had his best start since his first of the season. Over the course of five innings, Wheeler struck out nine, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks. While the results were good for Wheeler, he continues to throw a lot of pitches per inning, tossing 95 pitches over the course of five innings.

In the top of the second, Jose Reyes walked and promptly stole second base. Tomas Nido then drove him in with a single up the middle. One inning later, Cespedes collected his second hit of the day, before stealing two bases himself, the second a double steal with Jay Bruce, who reached base via a walk. While sliding into third, Cespedes injured his left thumb, and left the game in the next half inning. Adrian Gonzalez then drove both men in with a double to right field.

Gonzalez has been struggling mightily as of late, and with the news of Bruce reported to be starting at least one game at first base during this home stand, seemed to know he needed a big game today. In front of his hometown crowd, Gonzalez dazzled, and looked as comfortable as he has all season.

In the bottom of the third, Wheeler faced his only real struggles of the day. giving up three singles to Eric Hosmer, Franchy Cordero, and Freddy Galvis, with both Hosmer and Cordero coming around to score. Wheeler escaped more trouble by striking out Carlos Asuaje.

In the sixth, Paul Sewald replaced Wheeler, and threw two scoreless innings, in which he struck out three. Jordan Lyles entered the game in the fifth inning for the Padres, and was quite effective in the fifth and sixth innings. However, in the seventh, the Mets came alive.

Brandon Nimmo and Todd Frazier singled, and eventually came around to score on Gonzalez’s opposite field home run. That ran Lyles from the game, with Travis Jankowski entering next, with a man on base. Jankowski then walked Nido, before Asdrubal Cabrera knocked in both runs with a single to right field.

Kazuhisa Makita entered the game next for the Padres, and was greeted rudely by the Mets. Bruce started off the inning with a single, and scored on Frazier’s two-run home run one batter later. Hell truly froze over two batters later, when Jose Reyes hit his first home run of the season.

With two outs in the eighth, pinch hitter Wilmer Flores walked, Cabrera singled, and both were driven in by singles from Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo.

Robert Gsellman and Matt Harvey each pitched scoreless innings out of the bullpen and, due to a scoreless ninth for the Mets, the game ended 14-2.

This was the Mets’ first series win since the Brewers series earlier this month, and closed off April 17-9, good for the second best record in the National League. The team has a day off tomorrow, and welcome the Braves to Citi Field on Tuesday. Noah Syndergaard will start the first game of the series, after Steven Matz was pushed back to Saturday.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big winners: Adrian Gonzalez, +20.2 % WPA, Zack Wheeler, +11.4% WPA
Big losers: None
Teh aw3s0mest play: Adrian Gonzalez’s two-RBI double, +13.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Freddy Galvis’s two-RBI single, +12.6% WPA
Total pitcher WPA: +19.0% WPA
Total batter WPA: +31.0% WPA
GWRBI!: Adrian Gonzalez