Mets, Padres, vying for series win
NEW YORK -- Neither the New York Mets nor the San Diego Padres got the answers they wanted Tuesday night. On Wednesday afternoon, they'll both continue seeking something neither one has found in weeks: A series win.
Weather permitting, an ignoble streak will end when the Mets host the Padres in the finale of a three-game series between the bottom two teams in the National League at Citi Field.
Mets rookie right-hander Corey Oswalt (0-2, 5.64 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Padres left-hander Clayton Richard (7-9, 4.82 ERA).
The Mets evened the series Tuesday night, when Devin Mesoraco's three-run double in the first inning gave New York a lead it would never relinquish in a 6-3 victory.
The win gave the Mets (41-57) a chance to snap their streak of series without a series victory at 17. They have lost 11 series and split six others since sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks May 18-20.
If the Mets lose Wednesday, or the game is postponed -- thunderstorms are forecast for the New York area throughout the day -- they will tie the team record of 18 straight series without a series win, set by the 1982 club.
Win lose or rainout, the Mets should finally announce a plan regarding oft-injured outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list prior to Tuesday's game due to sore heels.
Cespedes, who missed nine weeks before returning for one game against the New York Yankees last Friday, is reportedly contemplating surgery that could sideline him for 8-10 months.
The Mets expected a decision to be made Tuesday, when tri-general manager John Ricco was expected to discuss Cespedes' timetable before the game. But the Mets were still waiting late Tuesday to hear from the out-of-state doctor who examined Cespedes' foot X-rays.
"We're still on the second opinion from the second doctor," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said Tuesday night. "You have to take everybody's information and make a judgment call on what they all feel. I don't think I've ever been in a situation where two doctors haven't been able to get together and come to some type of conclusion in the end."
The Padres (42-62), who have gone 10 straight series without a series victory, weren't happy with the conclusion drawn by replay officials in Manhattan following a weird sequence in the third inning Tuesday.
Padres center fielder Manuel Margot originally made the third out at home trying to score a second run on Wil Myers' RBI single to left field. Replay overturned the ruling, which pulled San Diego within 3-2, but resulted in Carlos Asuaje being called out at third base for the final out.
After the original out call at home, Mesoraco threw to third, where Asuaje, who had slowed down between second and third base, was tagged out after he handed his helmet to third base coach Glenn Hoffman. That out call stood upon review.
Padres manager Andy Green said he thought the rule was misapplied because Asuaje justifiably stopped running once the third out was made. Green added he wanted to lodge a protest -- Tuesday was the 35th anniversary of the "Pine Tar Game," when the Kansas City Royals won a rare protest after George Brett's homer was originally disallowed due to him having too much pine tar on his bat -- but that he wasn't allowed to do so because protests aren't allowed for calls made at the replay center.
"Protests never get won, I think we all know that," Green said with a small laugh. "I think that's just real common sense justification for having an issue with that play is you're not going to find a guy jogging 30 percent trying to advance on a catcher with the ball. You're not going to have a guy trying to advance with the third out clearly called and him stationary at the point in time.
"Those things seem pretty simple to me. They clearly weren't very simple."
Oswalt last pitched for the Mets on July 15, when he didn't factor into the decision after allowing one run over five innings as New York fell to the Washington Nationals, 6-1. He is occupying the rotation spot of Noah Syndergaard, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Monday due to hand, foot and mouth disease.
Richard took the loss last Friday, when he tied a season-high by giving up seven runs over a season-low three innings as the Padres fell to the Philadelphia Phillies, 11-5.
Oswalt has never faced the Padres. Richard is 2-5 with a 4.37 ERA in nine career starts against the Mets.
