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Clark's three-run homer carries Padres past Mets

Jun 9, 2008 - 12:41 AM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Tony Clark hit a three-run, pinch-hit home run off closer Billy Wagner Sunday in the bottom of the eighth inning as the San Diego Padres completed a four-game sweep of the New York Mets with a 8-6 victory.

Wagner (0-1) entered with New York holding a 6-4 lead in the eighth after Duaner Sanchez allowed a double to Craig Stansberry and walked Luke Carlin with two outs.

Jody Gerut's single brought home Stansberry to cut the lead to one, setting up Clark, who swatted Wagner's 3-2 pitch over the center field wall for his first home run as a member of the Padres. It was his 11th career pinch-hit homer.

"It's one of those situations where you're just trying to keep the line moving," Clark said. "You don't try to do too much. Everything (Wagner) was throwing was down, and it looked like getting the ball in the air was going to be difficult."

"To have this game in the bag and to lose it that way, it (stinks)," Wagner said. "That was just one of those series that we have to swallow."

Reliever Carlos Guevara (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth to earn his first major league victory and Trevor Hoffman worked the ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances to give San Diego its fifth straight win.

"I think we understand that getting a sweep of the New York Mets is a feather in your cap," Hoffman said. "But, it's something you can't hang your hat on. You understand that until you get to .500, you've got to keep working at it."

Slugger Carlos Delgado had his second three-hit game in as many days, fueling a three-run first-inning off San Diego starter Wil Ledezma.

San Diego answered in the bottom of the frame with three runs of its own to tie it at 3-3 against New York starter Pedro Martinez, who was making his second start since returning from a hamstring injury.

New York tacked on runs in the fourth and sixth innings to eventually build a 6-4 lead that Wagner failed to protect as he blew his third save in 16 chances this season.

"We finally score some runs, and Billy has been lights-out all year, and he gives it up," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We've got to find a way. It's frustrating."

Martinez allowed four runs and 10 hits, striking out four without walking a batter.

Ledezma surrendered five runs and six hits over four innings. He fanned four and walked four.

The loss was New York's fourth straight and fifth defeat in its last seven games.

"It's embarrassing to be swept twice in four-game series in two weeks," Randolph said. "That's not the kind of team we are, and we've got to find a way to get things right."