Padres Shell Mets Again

Well, this six-man rotation thing is off to a good start. The Padres battered Dillon Gee in his return to the now bloated rotation as the Mets dropped the series to the Padres.

Gee was not helped by some shoddy fielding. A fielding error by Ruben Tejada at third helped lead to two first inning runs. Gee did not help himself with a walk and a hit batter.

Down 4-0 in the fifth with runners on first and third with no outs, Yonder Alonso hit a comebacker. Gee’s throw home was wide for an error. Catcher Anthony Recker made a mental error by not picking up the ball and throwing to second, where Alonso took the extra base. It was crucial because he was able to score from second on a single to make it 7-0 and end Gee’s night.

Gee lasted just four innings, allowing seven runs (four earned) on eight hits. With Steven Matz ready to go and the Super 2 deadline about to pass, Gee will be on a short leash in his next (last?) start.

The Mets tried to claw their way back. Tejada made up for his errors (oh, he made another one in the third) with an RBI double in the sixth to plate the Mets first run.

They scored another one in the seventh on a Recker single to make it 7-2.

The Mets tried to mount a two-out rally against Craig Kimbrel in the ninth. After an error, pinch hitter Kevin Plawecki doubled to make it 7-3. A four-pitch walk and a single loaded the bases as Kimbrel lost the plate. Lucas Duda came to the plate as the potential tying run. But he grounded out to end the game.

Mets lose 7-3 — the second straight night they have given up seven runs.

They are now 2-4 in their last two series against the Marlins and Padres — two sub-.500 teams that the Mets should have beaten. Now it is on to Arizona with four games against another losing team. The Mets have to win the series to salvage this 10-game stretch against marginal teams, lest they prove they are nothing more than that themselves.