*Photo from the Chicago Sun Times*
Sometimes, people don't know they are nearing an incredible accomplishment. Eduardo Escobar was not one of those people. Escobar hit for the cycle, JD Davis drove in two runs, and the New York Mets rolled past the San Diego Padres with a 11-5 victory on Monday night in San Diego.
There are players that don't find out about records until after they've broken them, achievements they didn't know they had. On the other hand, Escobar knew full well he only needed a triple to get the cycle. Fortunately for him, he got a triple with no added difficulty, becoming the first Mets player to hit for the cycle since Scott Hairston in 2012.
Escobar said of hitting for the cycle that "It's unbelievable. It’s hard, hitting the cycle at this level. Today is a special night for me. It's a great moment. It’s unbelievable. I’m so happy. But I’m more happy because we won. If you make a cycle but you lose, it’s not the same energy. But when you win, everything is looking good."
With the 6 run margin in the victory, the Mets picked up their 3rd straight win and their 8th win in 10 games. That is good for a 38-19 record on the season, and a 9 game lead on first place in the tightly contested NL East. Escobar's 6 RBI's alone were the difference maker.
The Mets tacked on an early 3-0 lead, when Davis drew a bases loaded walk, and Escobar hitting a two run single, both in the first inning. In the 3rd inning, Jurickson Profar hit an RBI single to get the Padres on the board, making it a 3-1 game. In the 4th, Brandon Nimmo hit an RBI single, and Pete Alonso scored on a Davis sac fly in the 5th, making it 5-1 Mets.
In the 7th inning, Nomar Mazara got the Padres another run, scoring Ha-Seong Kim on an RBI double. In the 8th, Escobar hit a two run home run to make it 7-2, before Luke Voit answered in the bottom half with a 3 run home run, making it a 7-5 game. In the 9th, Escobar completed the cycle with a two run triple, followed by an RBI double from Jeff McNeil, and an RBI single by Tomas Nido, making it an 11-5 win.
It was Carlos Carrasco starting for the Mets, who pitched a gem in the win. Carrasco allowed just two runs on 5 hits, striking out 10 hitters over 7 innings pitched. Joely Rodriguez only got one out in the 8th before giving way to Drew Smith, who got the last 5 outs to finish the game.
New York manager Buck Showalter said of Carrasco that "Very quietly, he’s just reminded everybody that he was one of the best pitchers in the American League for a number of years. It’s just another example of when guys are healthy, how different everything is. He’s been in a good place for a long time."
For the Padres, Blake Snell got rocked hard in his start, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits across 4 innings of work. Craig Stammen allowed 4 runs in 1 1/3 innings, and Tim Hill let up two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Steven Wilson's 3 scoreless innings were the only shutout appearance by a Padres pitcher.
Voit said of the loss that "We found a way to tack on some runs late. That was big. Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way in the last inning. That team’s a good team. We’re in a tough stretch, probably playing four or five contenders in a row. But we’re just as good as these guys. We’re going to come out swinging tomorrow."
Up next, the Mets and Padres continue their series on Tuesday night. The Mets will send Taijuan Walker to the mound, while Yu Darvish gets the start for the Padres.
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