Sean Manaea tossed five solid innings of bulk relief and earned the win Tuesday night for the host New York Mets, who cruised past the San Diego Padres 8-3 in the opener of a three-game series between the teams holding down the final two National League wild-card spots.
Brett Baty, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Cedric Mullins all hit homers for the Mets (78-73), who have won two straight following an eight-game losing streak.
New York, which entered Tuesday with a 1 1/2-game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third National League wild card, moved within four games of the Padres (82-69) for the second wild card.
Jeff McNeil had a two-run double in the first immediately before Baty’s homer. Brandon Nimmo finished with two hits, including an RBI single to open the five-run first.
Alonso and Lindor also had two hits each.
Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin each hit solo homers for the Padres, who have lost 13 of 21. Merrill finished 2-for-4.
Manaea (2-3) gave up one run on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts in relief of Clay Holmes, whose workload is being managed after throwing a career-high 155 innings. Holmes gave up two runs on three hits and one walk while striking out two over four innings.
Michael King (4-3) took the loss for the Padres after allowing eight runs on 10 hits and no walks while striking out two over three-plus innings. King hadn’t allowed more than four runs in any of his first 12 starts this season.
A trio of San Diego relievers combined for five no-hit innings.
Nimmo’s single was the last of four straight hits to open the game for the Mets. After Mark Vientos hit into a 1-2-3 double play, McNeil doubled down the right field line and Baty homered to right five pitches later.
Merrill homered in the second before Lindor and Alonso answered with their solo blasts. Cronenworth went deep leading off the third and Fermin homered in the eighth.
