Mets suffer brutal defeat against Padres, Paul Blackburn has to leave due to injury

SAN DIEGO – A bad night for the Mets took a potentially brutal turn when Paul Blackburn sat on the mound in the third inning Friday, examining his right hand.

Moments earlier, David Peralta had hit a 100 mph line drive that bounced off the Mets pitcher and led to the first out of the inning, with Jose Iglesias catching the ball and throwing it to first base.

Blackburn's throwing hand took the brunt of Peralta's line drive, forcing him to leave the field on a night that would have been forgotten anyway, as the Padres were on his tail almost from the start.

The Mets lost 7-0 at Petco Park and fell 2 ½ games behind Atlanta in the battle for the NL's third wild card, but the bigger picture raises the question of completing the rotation.

According to the Mets, Blackburn had to leave the field with a bruised hand and will undergo further tests on Saturday.

The Mets' starting pitchers are limited due to injuries, and Tylor Megill, who struggled in two appearances for the team this season, is the first option out of Triple-A Syracuse if Blackburn doesn't get his next assignment.

Blackburn was acquired by the Mets from Oakland at the trade deadline after Kodai Senga (calf) and Christian Scott (elbow) were placed on the injured list.

Blackburn allowed 10 hits and five earned runs in 2 ¹/₃ innings. Luis Arraez hit a home run against him in the first game and Kyle Higashioka hit a two-run blast against him in the second inning.

After Blackburn's departure, the Mets focused on their bullpen, and Ryne Stanek was pushed to pitch 1 ²/₃ innings in which he allowed one earned run.

Danny Young went the next two scoreless innings and Adam Ottavino went the seventh and eighth innings and allowed one run.

Joe Musgrove – who dominated the Mets in Game 3 of the 2022 NL Wild Card Series at Citi Field – was nearly unhittable throughout. The right-hander allowed just one hit and recorded nine strikeouts in seven scoreless innings. Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor accounted for the Mets' only two hits, both doubles.

The Mets missed a chance to move seven games over .500, which would have matched their season high. There are eight games left on this road trip, and the red-hot Diamondbacks are waiting after the Mets ended their series against the Padres on Sunday.

David Peterson and Jose Quintana will be the starting pitchers for the next two days as the Mets try to rebound from Friday night's loss.

The Mets won the series opener on Thursday thanks to strong work in the bullpen and a good offense in the late innings.

Blackburn allowed three hits in the first inning that night and fell behind 1-0 on Arraez's leadoff home run. Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts each hit a single in the inning, but Blackburn escaped by striking out Jackson Merrill.

Peralta hit a single to start the second and Higashioka's home run gave the Padres a 3-0 lead.

But the Padres started another comeback in the inning against Blackburn with singles from Mason McCoy, Arraez and Jake Cronenworth, the last of which extended the Mets' deficit to 4-0.

Machado singled for the Padres' sixth hit of the inning before Blackburn struck out Bogaerts for the final out.

Merrill's grounder to first base at the start of the third inning should have been the first out, but due to an apparent miscommunication with Blackburn, who was covering the base, Pete Alonso kept the ball and was quicker to get to the base.

Peralta’s shot followed from Blackburn’s hand.

The Mets didn't get a baserunner until the fifth inning, after Musgrove had taken out the first 13 batters he faced: Marte hit a double into right field, but was left helpless.

That turned out to be the Mets' only baserunner until the ninth inning, when Lindor hit a double with two outs.