Fernando Tatis Jr. homered twice and Robbie Ray tossed six solid innings Tuesday night for the visiting San Diego Padres, who beat the New York Mets 5-2 in the middle game of a three-game series.
Tatis also saved a grand slam by robbing Francisco Lindor with a leaping catch at the right field wall in the second for the Padres, who are 10-5 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Ty France had an RBI single in the seventh while Manny Machado homered in the ninth. Machado finished with three hits and a walk in five plate appearances.
Luis Torrens and Luis Robert Jr. homered for the Mets, whose four-game winning streak was snapped as they lost for just the fourth time in 14 games since the deadline. Torrens and Bo Bichette finished with two hits each.
Ray (11-7) surrendered one run on three hits and three walks while striking out four. He retired 14 of the final 16 batters he faced. Mason Miller, the Padres’ fourth pitcher, recorded his 31st save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Mets rookie Zac Thornton (3-4) took the loss after allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out seven over five innings. He has lasted at least five innings in seven of his last eight starts.
Tatis Jr. homered on Thornton’s first pitch before he helped rescue Ray in the second. Ray walked the bases loaded before a Torrens grounder to third forced Francisco Alvarez at home. Tatis Jr. then snared Lindor’s fly ball, which was heading beyond the orange home run line, with a perfectly timed leap.
Tatis played a key role in the Padres extending their lead in the fifth, when Jake Cronenworth hit a leadoff single against Thornton before Tatis homered just beyond the reach of right fielder Carson Benge.
The Mets stranded five runners in the first four innings before Torrens homered leading off the fifth.
The Padres generated more insurance in the seventh, when Luis Rengifo and Machado walked with one out before France’s single to left scored pinch-runner Jase Bowen.
Robert homered to open the eighth against Adrian Morejon before Machado homered to left off Dedniel Nunez in the ninth.
