Manny Machado clouted a three-run homer Tuesday night to cap a five-run seventh inning that lifted the San Diego Padres to a 7-1 win over the visiting New York Mets.

Machado’s 20th homer of the year scored Elias Diaz, whose two-run double earlier in the inning off Jose Butto (3-2) upped the margin to 4-1, and Luis Arraez. It marked the second straight game that San Diego pieced together a five-run inning.

Wandy Peralta (5-1) pitched a scoreless sixth to claim the win in relief as the Padres earned their fourth straight victory and upped their lead on the Cincinnati Reds for the National League’s last wild-card spot to three games.

Neither starting pitcher was involved in the decision. New York’s Sean Manaea gave up only three hits and a run over five innings with no walks and four strikeouts, while San Diego rookie Ryan Bergert permitted two hits and a run in four-plus innings, walking four and whiffing four.

The Mets lost right fielder Juan Soto to a left foot contusion in the fourth inning after he fouled a pitch off his foot. Soto completed his at-bat, grounding out to second baseman Jake Cronenworth, but departed before the bottom of the inning.

The Padres initiated the scoring in the first via Jackson Merrill’s two-out RBI single to right. The hit chased home Fernando Tatis, who led off with a single, moved to second on Arraez’s sacrifice bunt and reached third on Machado’s fly ball to center.

New York tied the game in the fifth, although it was also a bit of a missed opportunity. Brett Baty and Brandon Nimmo sandwiched walks around a Luis Torrens single to fill the bases with no outs, chasing Bergert.

Reliever Jeremiah Estrada came in and struck out Francisco Lindor before pinch hitter Starling Marte’s sacrifice fly to right cashed in Baty. Pete Alonso then popped up to strand a pair.

Merrill gave San Diego the lead for good in the sixth when he chopped a triple over Alonso’s head into the right field corner, scoring Arraez from first.

–Field Level Media