Austin Warren allows costly homer in rare bullpen hiccup as Mets fall to Padres
SAN DIEGO — Austin Warren has become indispensable to the Mets bullpen based on his versatility and success, but Saturday night brought his most glaring hiccup this season.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
Given a one-run lead to protect, the right-hander got two fast outs in the seventh inning.A soft single followed before Warren served up a two-run homer to Freddy Fermin that became the margin of defeat in the 3-2 loss to the Padres.The Mets, after two straight victories in which the lineup produced, reverted to a familiar pattern of silence.The loss left the Mets needing a win Sunday to reach .500 for the road trip.Warren’s letdown was an anomaly for a bullpen that began the day with a 3.19 ERA that ranked third in the National League and fifth in MLB.
The right-hander had pitched to a 1.33 ERA, filling a variety of roles, from opener to long relief to higher leverage.Nolan McLean recovered from an elevated pitch count early to give the Mets six innings, allowing one earned run on three hits and three walks with five strikeouts.McLean snapped a string of three straight starts in which he failed to complete six innings and lowered his ERA to 3.98, departing after 101 pitches.Griffin Canning, who pitched last season for the Mets before undergoing June surgery for a ruptured Achilles, provided resistance against his former team.
The right-hander surrendered one earned run on three hits and two walks over five innings.Brett Baty’s RBI single in the second gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.Marcus Semien walked and A.J.
Ewing singled to begin the rally before Baty delivered for his 25th RBI of the season.It was a welcome contribution from Baty following his 3-for-16 (.188) start to the road trip.Fernando Tatis Jr.
stroked an RBI single in the third that tied it 1-1.McLean created trouble by walking Sung-Mun Song leading off the inning.
After Song stole second, Tat...