Matz has no-hitter through 6 innings for Mets vs Padres

“I know he’s upset about it, but we certainly have to make a change there”. “If you’re going to let him win in the zone with fastballs, it’s going to be a really tough game against a guy like him”. We didn’t do much of anything against him.

He is the first Mets pitcher to make his Major League debut as a reliever and pick up the win since Kenny Greer who did that in relief back on September 1993 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Reyes received just six at-bats and nine plate appearances during his rehab assignment with Class A Brooklyn, but felt ready to return to the majors. Ramirez then hit his 15th and 16th homers of the year to stake Boston to an 8-2 lead.

“I was just going out there trying to have a normal at-bat, and he was going with his sinker, throwing his curveball as well, mixing it up”, Ramirez said. “I wasn’t going to visit the Johan Santana scenario again, I can tell you that”.

The defending National League champion Mets (58-58) have not won consecutive games since July 6-7. Got some double-play balls. His 23rd homer drew groans from a crowd of 36,854 on the first Pride Night at Citi Field.

Flores and Walker connected for solo shots off lefty Clayton Richard (0-2).

The Padres had just one suspenseful out in the first seven innings.

“I want him to kind of get lost in the game he’s competing in and the day and not think about what it means in the future”, Padres manager Andy Green said. “I think it was just one of those days where he was substantially better than us”.

Matz walked off the field to a standing ovation.

“It really wasn’t on my mind”, Matz said. DeGrom had faced the minimum up until that point, but Solarte produced a nice piece of hitting to get San Diego on the board. The Mets scored three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, as T.J. Rivera’s two-run double capped an inning that began when Jose Reyes singled, stole second, took third on an error and raced home on a wild pitch.

The right-hander, who has given up one run or fewer in six of his last eight starts, didn’t allow a hit until the fifth, when Schimpf’s one-out single snapped a streak of 10 2/3 hitless innings for the Padres. Who would have thought that we would hear the words that starter Logan Verrett would be replaced by a reacquired Jon Niese? Myers and Solarte each singled, combining to lift the Padres onto the scoreboard.

When the Padres allow at least one home run, they are 25-47, well-matched with the Mets who are 24-40 when allowing at least one homer.

“There’s nothing more clutch than that”, Green said.

Homer Bailey struck out 11 in six scoreless innings in his third game back from Tommy John surgery in Cincinnati’s win over Milwaukee. That series begins Thursday.

Addison Reed relieved Matz in the eighth, allowing a hit but no runs, and recent call-up Gabriel Ynoa pitched the ninth. Padres RHP Tyson Ross (shoulder, ankle) tossed 46 pitches in the bullpen Saturday and is expected to throw batting practice before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

PHILADELPHIA – Ryan Howard hit a grand slam and drove in five runs to help Jake Thompson earn his first major league victory and lead Philadelphia over Colorado.