Rookie Jackson Merrill cracked a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, lifting the San Diego Padres to a 3–2 comeback win over the visiting New York Mets and a split of the four-game series between National League post-season contenders.
Merrill got a 2–0 count against Mets closer Edwin Diaz (5–2) and lined a hanging slider an estimated 379 feet into the right-field seats for his 19th homer. It was the All-Star’s second career walk-off blast and marked the sixth time he’s homered to tie or give San Diego the lead in the eighth inning or later.
Robert Suarez (8–1) pitched a clean ninth for the win as the Padres ended their seven-game homestand at 4–3 and stayed 1 1/2 games behind Arizona for the National League’s first wild-card spot. New York missed a chance to close within 2 1/2 games of Atlanta for the last National League wild-card position.
The Mets were in position to win the series, leading 2–0 in the bottom of the eighth. But Jose Butto walked rookie Mason McCoy with one out and then fed Jurickson Profar a 2–2 sinker over the outer half of the plate that Profar ripped an estimated 390 feet to right field, tying the score with his career-high 21st homer.
Profar’s swing resulted in a no-decision for New York starter Jose Quintana, who entered the game with an 8.27 earned-run average in August but found his form over 6 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed just four hits and two walks, striking out none.
The Mets initiated the scoring in the fourth via J.D. Martinez, who smashed a Martin Perez fastball over the 396-foot mark in center field for his 15th homer of the year. Perez later walked the bases loaded but Bryan Hoeing bailed him out by fanning Francisco Lindor for the inning’s third out.
New York’s Mark Vientos made it 2–0 in the seventh, drilling his 21st homer of the year an estimated 432 feet to right-center field. Perez lasted 3 2/3 innings, yielding four hits and a run, with three walks and a strikeout.
