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Home runs spur Mets past Padres

Aug 17, 2013 - 6:41 AM San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - Daniel Murphy hit a two-run homer and Marlon Byrd and Ike Davis added solo shots as the New York Mets clipped the San Diego Padres, 5-2, on Friday.

Eric Young drove in a run and Anthony Recker went 3-for-3 with a run scored for the Mets, who have taken the first two tilts of this four-game set.

Jon Niese (5-6) gave up six hits, including a solo homer, and struck out a season-high nine batters to pick up his second straight win. LaTroy Hawkins worked a scoreless ninth to nail down his fourth save of the season.

Will Venable hit a solo homer and Yonder Alonso added an RBI for the Padres, losers in five of their last six.

Ian Kennedy (4-9) was tagged for five runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out seven over 4 2/3 innings. Kennedy is 1-1 over three starts since being dealt to San Diego and has dropped six of his last seven decisions overall.

"His stuff was good as evidenced by the seven strikeouts," Padres manager Bud Black said of Kennedy.

The Mets scored one run in the second and two in the third to take an early 3-0 lead.

In the second, Recker doubled, moved to third on Omar Quintanilla's single then scored on a Young groundout to second.

Byrd and Davis opened the third with back-to-back homers to make it a three- run game.

"It was a fastball middle-in and I finally caught up to one and drove it out of the yard," Davis, who hadn't homered in 36 games said.

Venable smashed a homer in the home half to pull the Padres within 3-1, but Murphy clubbed a two-run homer in the fourth to make it a four-run game. Niese worked a leadoff walk, and after Young struck out, Murphy clobbered his 10th homer of the season deep into the seats in right field.

The Padres added a run in the eighth. Chase Headley doubled then scored on Alonso's single to center field.

Game Notes

The Mets have scored the game's first run in 10 of their last 11 contests ... Niese is 2-0 since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 11 ... Niese has held opponents to no more than three earned runs in seven of his last eight starts ... New York went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position ... San Diego went 1-for-12 with RISP ... San Diego's Jedd Gyorko recorded his sixth three-hit games this season.