Mets' win streak snapped by Padres despite clutch home runs from Vientos, Mauricio

SAN DIEGO — Gregory Soto was in the pressure-cooker for the second straight night, but the Mets newly-acquired reliever could not escape this time around.

After Ronny Mauricio jolted the Mets back to life with a game-tying solo home run off Padres closer Robert Suarez in the top of the ninth inning, the Padres wasted no time mounting a response for a second time on Monday evening.

Soto gave up a pair of hits and committed an errant throw to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Jose Iglesias, opening the door for Elias Diaz to deliver a walk-off RBI single into right field and drop the Mets, 7-6, on Monday night at Petco Park.

"Didn't make a play on a bunt and then with two outs, Diaz got him," Carlos Mendoza said. "But I thought he threw strikes. Life on the fastball. Yeah, they just got him there after we didn't make a play."

It ended a topsy-turvy game, which saw the Mets lead by as many as four runs and fall behind in the very next half inning. Mendoza was forced to watch from the clubhouse for the final six and a half innings after being ejected in the top of the third inning.

Mauricio's emotional home run was quickly erased in the next half inning, as well, as the Mets saw their seven-game win streak snapped as they fell to 62-45 on the season.

"Both teams battled. You're talking about two playoff teams," Mark Vientos said. "I thought it was a great game. It was a pretty long game too. I think we were going back and forth, and they just came out on top today."

Frankie Montas, Huascar Brazoban unravel in fifth

Frankie Montas worked through trouble in the second and third innings with minimal damage, but could not avoid the big inning in the fifth.

After stranding the bases loaded in the second and allowing one earned run on a hit by pitch, walk and RBI single to Xander Bogaerts in the third, Montas could not protect a 5-1 lead in the fifth.

Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the frame with a double that careened off Brett Baty's leg at second base. Then, Luis Arraez tagged a two-run home run high off the right-field foul pole. Montas' night ended at 4⅓ innings after he gave up two more hits in the frame.

"To be honest, I didn't think I was hitting my spots how I wanted to," Montas said. "They're a really good hitting team when you're falling behind in the count and force you to come into the zone. They're gonna put a good swing on the ball."

Huascar Brazoban fizzled under the pressure and a major missed chance. He recorded one out but then was late to cover first base on a sliding play by Pete Alonso that scored a run for the home side. The Padres collected back-to-back RBI singles from Bryce Johnson and Diaz to take a 6-5 lead.

"It felt like the game kind of got fast on him after that," Mendoza said. "He hesitated, didn't cover, gave them an extra out and when you're giving good teams extra outs, they're going to make you pay and that was the case today."

In a miserable fifth inning for the Mets, the Padres collected five earned runs on seven hits and sent up 11 batters.

An adversary behind the plate

The frustration boiled to the surface for Juan Soto in the top of the third inning.

After striking out in the opening inning against the Padres' Dylan Cease, Soto worked through an eight-pitch at-bat two frames later. Soto took offense to a called strike on a knuckle curve outside the zone and then was fired up further after he struck out looking at a pitch in a similar spot.

Mendoza came to Soto's defense and was ejected from the game by home-plate umpire Emil Jimenez. It led to John Gibbons managing the remainder of the game for the Mets.

"He had a rough night. There's no way to sugar-coat it there, especially when you're talking about a couple of at-bats there from Soto — some key at-bats," Mendoza said. "You're talking about one of the best hitters in game and you're taking the bat away from him.

"I felt like that first at-bat (in the third), Nim struck out on three pitches that weren't close, so he just had a bad night."

Soto nearly came unhinged after another strikeout looking on a pitch outside the zone in the top of the seventh inning as Gibbons usher the outfielder away once again.

Mark Vientos' first career grand slam erased

The Mets grabbed a stranglehold of the game in the top of the fifth inning but could not hold on.

One inning after Mark Vientos was robbed of a potential two-run home run by Tatis at the right-field fence, the Mets designated hitter sent a pitch where it could not be retrieved.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Vientos battled to a full count and then ripped an outside fastball into the crowd in right field for his first career home run.

"Felt good at the plate," Vientos said. "Got two pitches to hit in the location I was looking for and put a good swing on it."

Despite a rocky opening half of the season for Vientos, which saw him face a monthlong hamstring injury and struggle to a .223/.280/.361 slash line, he has began to find his form in the season half.

Vientos finished Monday night's game 2-for-4 with a run and four RBI. He has now collected a hit in seven straight games, driving in seven runs.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets: Mark Vientos grand slam, Ronny Mauricio ninth-inning HR not enough