Game #116: Padres 9, Mets 5

Add Angel Pagan to the list of ailing Mets after the centerfielder leaves Wednesday's 9-5 loss to the Padres at Citi Field early with lower back spasms. (NYDailyNews.com)

They made it interesting, but lightning would not strike a third time for the Amazin's.

The Mets got plenty of hits but not many runs and poor pitching from R.A. Dickey and Bobby Parnell led to their 9-5 demise against the Padres.

The Bad Stuff:

• R.A. Dickey, so often at the short end after great efforts, picked up a loss that even good run support wouldn't protect: he gave up 5 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits in 6 innings.
• Bobby Parnell wasn't much better in his 9th inning: he gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, shooting his ERA up to 4.38.
• New York managed 15 hits but could only plate 5 runs, hitting a solid-but-not-spectacular 6-19 with RISP and stranding 13 runners, including leaving the bases loaded in the 2nd and 9th. The Mets' 2-5 hitters (Justin Turner, David Wright, Lucas Duda, Jason Bay) combined to hit 2-18.
• And as if the Mets needed any more injuries, Angel Pagan left after the 4th inning with lower back spasms.

The Good Stuff:

• The lower half of the lineup, though? Quite solid. Mike Baxter hit 1-3 and walked twice in his first career start. Josh Thole was brilliant, hitting 4-5 with a double and 2 runs. Ruben Tejada went 3-5 with a run scored and had Web Gem at short in the 6th.

Final Analysis:
Well, can't win them all from behind. It was too little too late for the Mets tonight, as they came close, but left with no cigar.

Tomorrow afternoon the Amazin's look for the series win, then hit the road to face the much-better-than-last-time Arizona Diamondbacks.

MM