SAN DIEGO — A bad night for the Mets looked set to get even crueler in the third inning Friday when Paul Blackburn sat down on the mound to have his right hand examined.
Moments earlier, David Peralta hit a 100 mph liner that deflected off the Mets pitcher and was caught by Jose Iglesias, who threw it to first base for the first out of the inning.
Blackburn’s pitcher made a sharp catch on a Peralta line drive and, with the Padres attacking his pitching almost from the start, he was forced to leave the game on what was a night to forget.
The Mets went 7-0 at Petco Park and fell 2.5 games behind Atlanta for the third National League wild card spot, but the bigger picture is the question of whether they can fill out the rotation.
The Mets said Blackburn was sidelined with a hand contusion and will undergo further evaluation on Saturday.
The Mets’ starting pitching staff is limited by injuries, and Tyler Megill, who struggled twice with the team this season, is the main option at Triple-A Syracuse if Blackburn doesn’t get another chance.
Blackburn was acquired from Oakland to the Mets at the trade deadline after Kodai Senga (calf) and Christian Scott (elbow) were placed on the disabled list.
Blackburn allowed 10 hits and five runs in 2 1/3 innings. Luis Arraez hit a leadoff home run against him and Kyle Higashioka hit a two-run homer against him in the second inning.
The Mets rallied from their bullpen after Blackburn’s departure, with Ryne Stanek pitching 1 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run.
Danny Young held the opposing team scoreless over the next two innings, and Adam Ottavino gave up just one run over the seventh and eighth innings.
Meanwhile, Joe Musgrove was nearly invincible as he dominated the Mets in Game 3 of the 2022 National League Wild Card Series at Citi Field. The right-hander struck out nine and allowed just one hit in seven innings. The Mets only managed two hits, both of which were doubles, both to Starling Marte and Francisco Lindor.
The Mets missed a chance to get seven games above .500, which would have tied their best record of the season, with eight games remaining on the road, including a Diamondbacks team that will be riding high after the Mets wrap up their series with the Padres on Sunday.
The Mets will be looking to bounce back from a tough loss on Friday night, with David Peterson and Jose Quintana set to start over the next two days.
The Mets won the series opener on Thursday thanks to a strong bullpen and some late-game offense.
Blackburn gave up three hits in the first inning of the night, leading off with a home run by Arraez to give the team a 1-0 lead. Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts each singled, but Blackburn got out of the jam by striking out Jackson Merrill.
Peralta singled as leadoff batter in the second inning, and Higashioka’s home run gave the Padres a 3-0 lead.
But the Padres rallied back in the inning against Blackburn with hits from Mason McCoy, Arraez and Jake Cronenworth, the last of which extended the Mets’ lead to 4-0.
After Machado singled, the Padres’ sixth hit of the inning, Blackburn struck out Bogaerts for the final out.
Merrill’s grounder to first base in the top of the third should have been the first out, but a clear miscommunication with Blackburn covering the base allowed Pete Alonso to keep the ball and put one runner on base.
Peralta then took a shot that hit Blackburn’s hand.
The Mets didn’t have a runner on base until the fifth inning after Musgrove retired the first 13 batters he faced. Marte hit a double to right field but didn’t reach base again.
In the end, he was the Mets’ only runner until Lindor hit a double with two outs in the ninth inning.
