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Mets rally in 9th to upend Bell, Padres

Aug 9, 2011 - 4:27 AM Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - These New York Mets just don't quit.

On a day when star shortstop Jose Reyes landed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring for the second time this season and Daniel Murphy joined him with a likely season-ending sprained MCL, New York's last- standing stars and fill-ins dug deep.

David Wright drove in the first of three ninth-inning runs off Padres closer Heath Bell, then Lucas Duda singled home the tying and winning ones, as the Mets rallied past the Padres, 9-8.

"Just take the blows, play hard. I don't know what the outcome will be at the end, but (we have) to play with our heart, our gut, and play it out," Mets manager Terry Collins said about the team's perseverance.

Jason Isringhausen (3-2) was the beneficiary, pitching a scoreless top of the inning, giving the Mets an opportunity to touch up Bell (2-4), who struggled with location and gave up four hits. The last of those was a single to center by Duda that scored Justin Turner and Wright.

"I made two bad pitches that really cost me," sad Bell.

Jason Bartlett's bases-clearing double capped a four-run eighth that looked to have the Padres sitting pretty, but instead, the normally reliable Bell faltered, snapping the team's four-game winning streak.

The Mets clubbed three home runs in the first three frames, and Wright hit one of them, a two-run shot as part of a 2-for-5 night with three RBI and two runs scored. New York has split its last four games thanks to a rally in the ninth.

Jason Pridie singled to right and moved to third on Turner's one-out single to left. Wright then found an empty space up the middle, driving in Pridie, and a wild pitch not only moved Turner to third but allowed Wright to get into scoring position. Duda took advantage with a base hit in nearly the identical place as Wright's, scoring both runners for the victory.

"He's got some good stuff. He was throwing hard. I was looking for a fastball. I got one, and it had some eyes, found a hole and we won," said Duda.

Cameron Maybin's speed generated a two-out, first-inning run, as he singled, swiped his 27th base and raced around to score on Guzman's single to center.

The Mets started the long ball parade in the home half, as Angel Pagan back- legged an offering high in the air and tight to the right-field line that landed just over the high wall. In the second, Jason Bay crushed a pitch to left that quickly climbed high enough to find the seats for a 2-1 game.

In the third, Turner singled to center before Wright measured up a thigh-high fastball, driving it into the seats over the left-center-field wall for a 4-1 game.

The Padres rallied with a game-tying three-spot in the sixth with solid situational hitting. A single by Bartlett was followed by Maybin's two-bagger down the left-field line. Jesus Guzman then blopped a single in front of a diving Willie Harris in right, scoring Bartlett for a two-run game. Orlando Hudson then skied a sacrifice fly to right, leaving Mets starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey one out away from leaving the sixth with the lead.

Guzman, however, stole second and scored on Kyle Blanks' double to right, the second time a stolen base and two-out hit generated a run.

San Diego then opened the floodgates in the eighth, scoring four times to seize the lead. Hudson walked and stole second before Blanks was plunked with a pitch. Ryota Igarashi replaced Pedro Beato and recorded an out on a sacrifice bunt before Luis Martinez's go-ahead RBI single to left. After a strikeout and walk loaded the bases with two outs, Bartlett drove a pitch that carried over Pagan's head in left-center field, bouncing just before the warning track and rolling to the base of the wall for a bases-clearing double.

The Mets sliced the deficit in half during the bottom of the frame, as Mike Baxter, fresh to the Mets as a call-up after Reyes and Murphy were placed on the disabled list, sliced a liner that fooled Blanks in left, caroming off his glove for an RBI double. Ronny Paulino followed with a sacrifice fly to center.

Game Notes

Pagan hit his third career leadoff home run and fifth of the season...Both Bay and Wright clubbed their ninth home run of the campaign...To fill the roster spots vacated by Reyes and Murphy, the Mets recalled infielder Ruben Tejada and Baxter from Triple-A Buffalo....This was the first meeting between these clubs this season...Hudson stole his 15th base for the Padres...Pelfrey gave up four runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 frames, while San Diego starting pitcher Tim Stauffer surrendered four runs on six hits over seven frames.