After flying into San Diego with a seven-game winning streak, the New York Mets hope to fly home Wednesday with a win that would avoid a series sweep by the Padres.
And the Mets might have to go about it without one of their sluggers in the lineup.
Right fielder Juan Soto left Tuesday night’s 7-1 loss to San Diego before the bottom of the fourth after fouling a pitch off his left foot during his at-bat in the top of the inning. Soto completed the at-bat and grounded out to second but was lifted by manager Carlos Mendoza when New York went out for defense.
“It was a tough moment,” Soto said of the injury. “I tried to run and push (off it) and couldn’t do it. We decided not to keep pushing.”
Soto and the Mets may have gotten a break, and not the one that would sideline him. X-rays came back negative, according to Soto and Mendoza, although Soto’s status for Wednesday afternoon’s game isn’t known.
Pressed by reporters after the game, Soto said he wasn’t feeling “anything.”
“We just got to get the swelling down,” he said.
Soto is hitting .248 with 25 homers and 62 RBIs in his first season with the Mets. His .382 on-base percentage in tied for fifth in the National League.
An extended absence for Soto could be problematic for an offense that isn’t getting much lately from stars such as Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. Lindor is 8 for his last 55 and Alonso is worse at 5-for-57.
Right-hander Clay Holmes (9-5, 3.40 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets on Wednesday, looking for the first 10-win season of his career. He is coming off an 8-1 win over the San Francisco Giants on Friday after he allowed one run on six hits in five innings. He is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in eight relief appearances lifetime against San Diego.
The Padres will counter with right-hander Yu Darvish (0-3, 9.18), who has struggled since returning from the injured list on July 7.
Darvish was hammered Thursday during a 9-7 loss in St. Louis, permitting eight runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings with two walks and three strikeouts. He is 5-1 with a 3.23 ERA in 10 career starts against New York.
But San Diego enters Wednesday with a four-game winning streak that’s seen its offense score 26 runs, finally getting production from the bottom of the lineup. Catcher Elias Diaz walked off the Mets on Monday night and slashed a two-run double Tuesday night to start a five-run seventh inning, while Jose Iglesias added two hits and a walk.
“Guys are doing the little things, and they are leading to the big things,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “We’ve been able to add on. … We’ve got a lot in our bag right now.”
–Field Level Media
