SAN DIEGO — Sean Manaea has looked better during his recent resurgence, but he was afforded a cushion Sunday and utilized it.
The left-hander, in a bulk relief role, allowed two earned runs on four hits over four innings in the Mets’ 7-3 victory over the Padres.
It was Manaea’s sixth straight respectable outing since May 6, when he was removed from a game in Colorado after only one-third of an inning because of struggles.
Manaea, who worked behind opener Huascar Brazobán, was afforded a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning.
Freddy Fermin hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame and Manaea was removed for the sixth.
“The first-pitch fastball to Fermin, I wish I got that back,” Manaea said. “But, yeah, [the outing] was OK.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza could appreciate that Manaea went after hitters.
“He had to pitch today, which was good to see with so many righties, a heavy righty lineup,” Mendoza said. “For him to use the cutter, for him to use the changeup, got swings and misses with the fastball. Not an easy lineup to navigate and I thought he did a really good job.”
Carson Benge became the fourth Mets rookie to record a five-hit game that included a home run.
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The others were Pete Alonso (Aug. 15, 2019), Alex Ochoa (July 3, 1996) and John Milner (Sept. 8, 1972).
Mark Vientos was absent from the starting lineup for the third time in four games as Mendoza went with Jared Young at first base and MJ Melendez in left field, allowing DH duty for Juan Soto.
The struggling Vientos has seen his OPS drop from .703 to .617 over the past three weeks,
“It’s been hard for [Vientos], it’s been a rough stretch,” Mendoza said. “He’s just got to continue to fight. He’s got to continue to come in every day with the mindset that there’s adjustments. He’s got to continue to work, and he’s been doing that, so off the field that is kind of some of the things we’re looking for.”
