Steven Matz Flirts with No-Hitter as Mets Top Padres 5-1

Matz exited to a raucous ovation and finished with two walks and eight strikeouts. The Mets (58-58) put runners on the corners with one out, and Flores hit a ground ball up the middle that should have been a double play.

As a team in search of something – anything – to get it going on a hot steak, the Mets have no qualms in hoping a win fueled by another team’s blunder can galvanize a turnaround. It marked Flores’ fifth career walk-off RBI. Gabriel Ynoa worked the ninth and yielded a run on two hits but was able to prevent further damage and seal the important win for the Mets.

Familia was two strikes from closing it out when Myers drove a 97 miles per hour sinker to left-center.

The crowd of 36,854 loudly booed as the team walked off the field after the top of the ninth, and Familia now has blown three of his last six save opportunities.

“Every win is big, especially now”, deGrom said.

In seven stellar innings, the right-hander struck out nine and permitted just three hits.

New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz is greeted by teammates in the dugout after being pulled from a baseball game during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016, in New York.

The Mets then went to work generating some insurance against the San Diego bullpen. Another double play promptly followed.

NY celebrated as if it clinched a postseason berth after Wilmer Flores delivered a fielder’s choice grounder in the 11th, which came two innings after closer Jeurys Familia surrendered a tying two-run homer with two outs in the ninth. With San Diego breaking in many inexperienced players in the final two months of the season, Matz should continue the dominance.

“You gotta learn how to get through tough times when you are exhausted, that’s what Steven did today”. Jose Reyes singled, stole second and took third when Norris’ throw skipped into center field and scored the first on a wild pitch. 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. Despite going 12-20 in between winning streaks, NY entered Sunday just 2 1/2 games behind the St Louis Cardinals in the race for the second wild card in the National League.The Padres (50-66) have lost five of seven.Matz (9-8) was pulled after giving up a one-out single to Alexei Ramirez in eighth. Padres manager Andy Green said RHP Colin Rea (right elbow) will visit Dr. James Andrews this week to determine when he’ll undergo Tommy John surgery. So I wasn’t going to let that happen.

“This game is not easy right now”, Walker said.

“Terrific performance”, Collins said. “After his last start, after the game he told me one of the things he really needed was to get stretched out”. Coming off a cruddy 5-run game against the Phillies a week ago, this was a good bounce back. The inning began with a single by Flores and a walk by Alejandro De Aza.