The New York Mets lost to the San Diego Padres, 11-5, in Game 1 of their four-game series at Citi Field on Thursday. The game went two innings before rain caused a 68-minute delay. Rookie Jeremy Hefner (0-2) gave up just one hit and no earned runs in his first two innings on the mound. He imploded when play resumed, however. Over the next 1 2/3 innings, Hefner gave up eight hits and six earned runs to earn the loss.
The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Vinny Rottino rounded home on a throwing error to third by Padres' catcher Nick Hundley. In sharp contrast to Hefner, Padres starter Eric Stults (1-0) actually sharpened up a bit after the tarp was lifted. He went five innings to finish with just four hits given up and no earned runs. The win was his first of the season.
The Padres assumed a 6-1 lead by the time Stults left the mound after five innings. David Wright homered off Matt Palmer in the bottom of the sixth to move the Mets to within three runs, 6-3, but the Padres responded with a three-run seventh with Manny Acosta pitching. Yonder Alonso hit an RBI-double in the eighth to put San Diego up 10-3, giving them their largest lead of the night.
Ike Davis pinch-hit a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth to cap the Mets' scoring at five runs. Wright finished with the best night at the plate for the Mets, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. David Murphy made it on base twice with two walks in three at-bats. New York went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Hundley made up for his second-inning error by belting the Padres' only home run of the night off Robert Carson in the ninth inning. Everth Cabrera, who was hitting just .231 on the year, went 4-for-5 from the plate. Cameron Maybin went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. The Padres finished with 18 hits as a team.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday at Citi Field assuming the weather holds up. Fans who had tickets to Thursday's game can redeem their stubs for free entrance. Dillon Gee (3-3, 5.44 ERA) will take on the Padres' Anthony Bass (2-4, 2.89) on the mound.
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