Mets 4, Padres 3
SAN DIEGO -- Yoenis Cespedes hit his 11th homer of the season and Asdrubel Cabrera drove home two runs with a pair of singles Sunday afternoon as the New York Mets defeated the Padres 4-3 at Petco Park to earn a split of their four-game series.
Right-handed starter Matt Harvey (3-4) got credit for the win, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out 10 over six innings. Additionally, it was Havey who scored the decisive fourth Mets run after doubling in the sixth.
But it was relievers Antonio Bastardo and Jeurys Familia who turned back the Padres.
Bastardo entered the game with the bases loaded and none out in the eighth after consecutive singles by Jon Jay, Wil Myers and Matt Kemp. Bastardo struck out pinch-hitter Derek Norris, retired Melvin Upton Jr. on a pop out to first and struck out Alexei Ramirez to protect the Mets' one-run lead.
Familia worked a perfect ninth to pick up his 10th save and his second in as many games.
Padres starting and losing pitcher Andrew Cashner (2-3) departed the game in the top of the sixth inning four pitches after being called out at the plate in a head-first slide with would have been the tying run to end the fifth.
Cashner opened the sixth with two straight strikes to Mets third baseman Eric Campbell when Padres catcher Christian Bethancourt, went to the mound to consult to with the right-hander. After Cashner's next two pitches to Campbell were balls, Bethancourt returned to the mound and summoned the Padres trainer and manager Andy Green.
The decision was quickly made to remove Cashner for precautionary reasons due to what the club called a right hamstring cramp.
Cashner struggled early while Harvey sailed through the first four innings, the only hit off the Mets' right-hander being Cashner's bunt single up the third-base line with two out in the sixth.
Meantime, the Mets scored three runs with eight hits off Cashner in the first three innings.
New York scored twice in the second, the rally starting with a two-out double by catcher Kevin Plawecki, who scored on a single by Campbell. Harvey followed with a single and Curtis Granderson walked to load the bases ahead of Cabrera's single.
Center fielder Yoenis Cespedes made it 3-0 in the third with his second homer in as many games and his 10th on the season -- a 366-foot drive to left off a 0-1 fastball from Cashner.
Cashner allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk in five innings. The Padres turned double-plays to get him out of two jams.
The Padres scored two runs in the fifth before the controversial play at the plate involving Cashner.
Bethancourt followed a one-out single by Ramirez with a two-run homer off Harvey, the line drive carrying 434 feet deep into the left field stands.
Cashner struck out with two out, but reached first when Harvey's third strike sailed past Plawecki for a wild pitch. Jay then pulled a double into the right field corner, Cashner getting the green light as he approached third. The Mets relay from Granderson through second baseman Wilmer Flores beat Cashner to the plate, Plawecki's tag just beating a head-first slide by the pitcher. A video appeal upheld the call.
Cashner apparently suffered the cramp on the dash from first.
The Mets added their fourth run just after Cashner departed. Harvey doubled off the fence in center and scored on a two-out single by Cabrera.
The Padres pulled back to within a run in the bottom of the seven on a one-out, bad-hop double by Bethancourt, who advanced to third on a fly to right and scored on a balk by Mets reliever Jim Henderson.
NOTES: Mets 2B Neil Walker missed Sunday's game with a sore shin, but is expected to return to the lineup Monday. Walker sat out two of the last three games in San Diego. ... The Padres placed 2B Jemile Weeks on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring strain suffered Saturday night while running to first on a seventh-inning bunt. INF/OF Jose Pirela flew in from Triple-A El Paso Sunday morning to take Weeks' spot on the 25-man roster. ... The Padres now have four middle infielders on the 15-day disabled list. ... Weeks, regular 3B Yangervis Solarte, regular 2B Cory Spangenberg and INF/OF Alexi Amarista. Solarte, Amarista and Weeks all have hamstring strains, while Spangenberg is out with a quad strain.