SAN DIEGO — Sean Manaea’s Recent Performance

Sean Manaea has shown improvement in his recent outings, and he made the most of his opportunity on Sunday.

The left-handed pitcher, stepping in as a bulk reliever, gave up two earned runs on four hits over four innings as the Mets defeated the Padres 7-3.

This marks Manaea’s sixth consecutive appearance since his struggle on May 6, when he lasted only one-third of an inning during a game in Colorado.

Backing up starting pitcher Huascar Brazoban, Manaea started with a solid 4-0 lead heading into the fifth inning.

However, Freddie Fermin hit a two-run homer in that inning, leading to Manaea’s exit in the sixth.

“First pitch fastball to Fermin. I wish I could have gotten that back,” Manaea reflected. “But, yeah, [the outing] was okay.”

Manager Carlos Mendoza commended Manaea for effectively challenging the batters.

“Even though he had to pitch today, it was good to see so many right-handed hitters in the lineup,” Mendoza noted. “For him to utilize his cutter and changeup, he had some good swings and misses with his fastball. It wasn’t an easy lineup, but I thought he did a really good job.”

Carson Benge made headlines, becoming the fourth Mets rookie to achieve five hits in a game, including a home run. He joins the ranks of Pete Alonso, Alex Ochoa, and John Milner.

Meanwhile, Mark Vientos was absent from the starting lineup for the third time in four games, with Mendoza opting for Jared Young at first base and MJ Melendez in left field, while Juan Soto handled DH duties.

Vientos, who has been struggling, has seen his OPS drop from .703 to .617 in just three weeks.

“It was tough, wasn’t it? [Vientos] just has to keep fighting,” Mendoza remarked. “He needs to approach practice daily, understanding that he’ll need to make adjustments. He’s putting in the work, and that’s what we want to see.”