SAN DIEGO — Christian Scott’s reemergence is among the Mets’ most positive developments in this so far disappointing season.
A rotation in need of arms, preferably powerful ones, has found a potential keeper in Scott, who Friday night posted a third straight tantalizing start, helping the Mets to a 5-0 victory over the Padres.
In winning their second straight, the Mets (28-35) received much of the offensive firepower they needed on home runs from Jared Young and Luis Torrens, giving Scott the space he needed for his second straight win after going 15 starts to begin his major league career without one.
Scott came within an out of completing six innings for the first time this season but was removed following Manny Machado’s single with two outs in the sixth.
He pitched 5 ²/₃ scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks over 98 pitches. Scott’s ERA dropped to 2.50.
In Scott’s previous two outings, both against Miami, he combined to work 10 ²/₃ innings, allowing only one earned run. Scott’s start was his 17th straight to begin his major league career with four or fewer runs allowed, extending his franchise record. Eight of those starts have occurred this season after Scott missed last year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
“We have seen him the last couple of outings, he’s been pretty good for us,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the game. “You look at the way the fastball is moving — pretty much all of his pitches, whether it’s the sweeper, the cutter, he’s competing in the strike zone. He’s competing in the strike zone, he’s attacking, he’s executing and it’s fun to see.”
Young’s homer leading off the second against Michael King gave the Mets their first run. The homer was Young’s third in his last six games — he began the night with an .899 OPS since returning from the injured list May 26.
Bo Bichette’s RBI triple in the third extended the Mets lead to 2-0. Torrens doubled with one out before Bichette hit a shot just inside first base that reached the right field corner, where Fernando Tatis Jr. had trouble fielding the ball. Bichette raced to third.
Bichette was coming off a 4-for-4 performance Wednesday in Seattle.
The Mets are still waiting for Bichette’s bat to arrive with a flurry following a disappointing two-plus months to begin the season. Bichette finished the night 2-for-4, but still owns an anemic .609 OPS for the season.
Torrens’ two-run blast in the fifth gave the Mets a 4-0 lead. Brett Baty singled leading off the inning, and Torrens cleared the center field fence with one out for his first homer of the season.
This could be Torrens’ final weekend as the starting catcher, with Francisco Alvarez potentially set to conclude his minor league rehab and rejoin the Mets on the next homestand following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
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Scott walked Rodolfo Duran leading off the sixth and got two outs before Machado’s single to center spurred a pitching change. Huascar Brazobán struck out Ty France to end the threat.
The Mets received a scoreless seventh from Brazobán before Luke Weaver and A.J. Minter finished it.
Weaver extended his streak of scoreless appearances to 14. He has pitched 16 innings over that stretch and allowed only nine hits and four walks.
Baty stroked an RBI single in the ninth after A.J. Ewing singled and stole both second and third base.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
