Free Live Odds - Scores and Odds - Sports News - Sports Information - Live Scores - Sports Statistics - Sports Articles - Sports Standings - Live Scoreboard - Live Odds - Sporting Events - Live Lines

Final Score: San Diego 4 - NY Mets 2

Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - Cha Seung Baek held the Mets bats in check through 6 1/3 frames, and the San Diego Padres took advantage of costly mistakes from David Wright in a 4-2 victory over New York in the middle contest of a three-game set from Shea Stadium.

Baek (4-6) gave up two runs on eight hits, issuing one walk and striking out five to earn the win.

Jody Gerut, Brian Giles and Chase Headley accounted for three of San Diego's four runs with a solo home run each. The Padres have won two of their last three games.

Dan Murphy was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored while Wright had two hits and an RBI but made two costly mistakes, an error that allowed the go-ahead run in the seventh and a baserunning blunder that cut short a possible big fifth inning.

Pedro Martinez (3-3) was handed the loss but pitched well over 6 1/3 frames, surrendering three runs -- two earned -- on four hits and three walks. The right-hander recorded three strikeouts in his second start since rejoining the team after missing time with a combination of a groin injury and the death of his father.

"I feel good with what he can do," Mets manager Jerry Manuel said of Martinez. "I think what's going to be important for him now is to keep the ball in the ballpark. I think the last two outings, five home runs, that's not Pedro-like, but he bounced back in those two games and performed real well."

New York has now dropped five of its last six to fall three games behind the Phillies, who dealt the Marlins a 5-0 setback earlier Wednesday. The Mets remain a half-game behind the second-place Marlins.

Luis Rodriguez doubled to right leading off the seventh and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Pedro Feliciano entered for Martinez to retire Gerut on strikes before issuing a walk to Edgar Gonzalez. Wright couldn't handle a grounder from Giles, and the go-ahead run was allowed to score. Adrian Gonzalez lofted a fly ball to center for the final out of the inning.

"He's still a good pitcher, a quality pitcher," Gerut said of Martinez. "He's to be respected and certainly he had our number after the first inning. He made some adjustments and did a good job."

The Mets got back-to-back singles with one away in the seventh, chasing Baek, but Mike Adams came on to retire the next two batters without incident.

Feliciano exited in favor of Eddie Kunz in the eighth and Headley extended the Padres lead with a one-out blast over the wall in left-center.

Heath Bell worked around a single from Brian Schneider in the eighth and Trevor Hoffman closed the door with a perfect ninth for his 24th save of the season.

Things didn't start well for Martinez as Gerut took his first pitch of the game out to right-center and, two batters later, Giles launched a home run to almost the same spot as the Pads took an early lead.

"These guys at this time of the year are perfectly ready to do what they have to do with the pitch they see in the wrong area," Martinez said. "We're in August, right now those guys are 100 percent sharp. When a guy like me who's rusty comes over and makes a mistake, to them it looks like a basketball out there, especially if I'm not throwing 96 like I used to."

The Mets got one back in the home half however, as Murphy tripled down the right field line and scored when second baseman Edgar Gonzalez misplayed a grounder from Wright.

After an effective stretch from both starters, New York tied things up at two in the fifth. Jose Reyes singled to left, stole second and scored on a looping single from Murphy. Wright then reached on Edgar Gonzalez's second error of the game, but Wright then cut short a possible big inning when he was doubled off first after apparently forgetting there was only one out when Carlos Beltran flied out to right.

The double play ended the inning, and the scoring threat for New York.