Francisco Lindor’s grand slam and solo shot carry the Mets to a 7-1 win vs the Padres

AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Francisco Lindor hit a two-out grand slam in the fourth inning, two batters after Manny Machado committed an error, and added a leadoff shot in the seventh to carry the New York Mets to a 7-1 win against the San Diego Padres on Saturday night.

After Lindor homered from both sides of the plate, Harrison Bader also connected for the Mets, who have won two of the first three games in this four-game series between NL playoff contenders.

“It feels pretty cool to hit home runs from each side, for sure,” Lindor said. “It’s one of those where as you run the bases, it’s like, ’Wow, my swing is good. I’m aligning pretty good.’ ”

Lefty David Peterson (8-1) pitched 7 1/3 strong innings as the Mets rebounded nicely from Friday night’s 7-0 loss, when they had only two hits, including one during Joe Musgrove’s seven brilliant innings.

Lindor tied Pete Alonso for the team lead with 27 homers. It was his 19th career multi-homer game and the seventh slam in his 10-year career.

Lindor hit his grand slam left-handed and his solo shot right-handed.

“That means my body aligned perfectly today,” Lindor said. “When I rack and rotate from one side and then turn around and rotate perfectly on the other side, that means my body’s in a good spot. That’s what I try to do day in, day out. I come out and do my work early to put my body in position where it’s ready to fire from both sides.”

Lindor’s five RBIs were more than enough support for Peterson, who had only one bumpy inning against the Padres, who came into the night holding the NL’s second wild-card spot. The Mets are trailing Atlanta for the final spot.

Lindor’s grand slam sailed 417 feet into the seats in right-center, thrilling a large contingent of Mets fans sitting behind the third base dugout.

Michael King (11-7) retired the first two batters before allowing a single to Starling Marte. Francisco Alvarez hit a line drive right to Machado at third base, but it popped out of his glove for an error. King hit Jeff McNeil with a pitch to load the bases for Lindor.

After Machado’s error, “Everybody in the dugout was just like, highly into the game, into the moment,” Lindor said. “Everybody is like, ‘All right, here we go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s make something happen.’ It’s one of those that snowball into that inning. It’s part of the game.”

Lindor lined reliever Yuki Matsui’s second pitch into the left-field seats in the seventh.

“We’re witnessing greatness,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “One of the best players in the game. I think a lot of times people take for granted how good of a player in what he’s able to do, day in and day out. It’s not easy. Not only offensively, but the way he plays a premium position, shortstop. What he means to the team, to that locker room, and to the organization. Unbelievable night against another good pitcher.”

Said Peterson: “He’s spectacular.”

Bader homered off Logan Gillaspie in the eighth, his ninth.

The Padres loaded the bases against Peterson with one out in the fifth, but got just one run, on Luis Arraez’s groundout.

Peterson allowed one run and five hits while striking out two and walking two.

King gave up five runs, one earned, and three hits in five innings, struck out seven and walked three.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: RHP Paul Blackburn, knocked out of Friday night’s game when he got hit on his pitching hand by a line drive, will try to play catch Sunday, Mendoza said. That will help determine whether Blackburn can avoid going on the injured list. “Definitely we dodged a bullet there,” Mendoza said.

Padres: Manager Mike Shildt said RHP Yu Darvish recovered well from Friday’s bullpen session and will do up and downs tomorrow with live hitters. Darvish was reinstated from the restricted list Friday and returned to the 15-day injured list. … The team is deciding whether Fernando Tatis Jr. will accompany the squad on the next trip or go to the spring training complex in Arizona to work out. Tatis took batting practice on the field Friday for the first time since going on the IL in late June.

UP NEXT

Mets LHP Jose Quintana (6-9, 4.57 ERA) and Padres LHP Martin Pérez are scheduled to start Sunday’s series finale.

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