Major League Baseball

Duda's single caps Mets' rally vs. Padres

Published Aug. 8, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Lucas Duda's two-run single capped a three-run ninth against All-Star closer Heath Bell, and the banged-up New York Mets rallied past the San Diego Padres 9-8 on Monday night.

Angel Pagan, Jason Bay and David Wright homered for the Mets, who started strong and finished with a flourish after putting their top two hitters on the disabled list.

Shortstop Jose Reyes is sidelined with a strained left hamstring, the same problem that landed the NL's leading hitter on the disabled list for 16 days last month. Daniel Murphy, who filled in admirably for injured first baseman Ike Davis, is likely done for the season because of a left knee injury.

Pagan moved up to Reyes' spot at the top of the lineup and hit his third career leadoff homer.

Ruben Tejada, recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, started at shortstop and made a tough defensive play in an important situation.

Jason Bartlett's bases-loaded double capped a four-run eighth that gave the Padres an 8-4 lead. But their normally reliable bullpen couldn't hold it, and San Diego's four-game winning streak was snapped.

Duda, who had three hits, singled to start a two-run eighth against Chad Qualls. Bay walked and pinch-hitter Mike Baxter, just promoted from Triple-A Buffalo, delivered an RBI double when left fielder Kyle Blanks misplayed the deep drive, letting it glance off his glove.

Claimed off waivers from the Padres last month, Baxter grew up in Queens about 10 minutes from the Mets' home and went to games at Shea Stadium as a kid. But he had never been to Citi Field, which opened in 2009, before arriving in the clubhouse Monday.

After his key hit, Baxter clapped his hands at second base as his family stood and cheered in the stands. It was his second major league hit and RBI.

Ronny Paulino's sacrifice fly cut it to 8-6.

Jason Pridie opened the ninth with a single off Bell (2-4), a former Met, and moved up on a wild pitch as Pagan struck out. Justin Turner's single put runners at the corners and Wright laced an RBI single up the middle.

Another wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third before Duda grounded a single up the middle, just past diving second baseman Orlando Hudson.

Wright scored the winning run with a headfirst slide into the leg of plate umpire Marty Foster and the jubilant Mets mobbed Duda near second base.

Willie Harris pelted Duda in the face with a cream pie as he was interviewed on the field.

It was Bell's third blown save in 34 chances.

Jason Isringhausen (3-2) worked a scoreless ninth for the win.

Jesus Guzman had two RBI singles for San Diego and Tim Stauffer hung around for seven innings after serving up three early homers. Coming off a three-game sweep at slumping Pittsburgh, the last-place Padres fought back from a 4-1 deficit against Mike Pelfrey with their latest offensive outburst.

San Diego, which began the day at the bottom of the NL rankings in home runs (63) and batting average (.235), has scored 46 runs in the last five games.

Bay hit his 200th career homer leading off the second and Wright added a two-run shot to make it 4-1 in the third, but the Padres tied it with a three-run sixth. Bartlett started the rally with a single and Blanks capped it with an RBI double.

Wright also made two outstanding plays at third base. New York, which had lost six of seven, moved back to .500 (57-57).

NOTES: Stauffer had given up only eight homers all season. ... San Diego placed 3B Chase Headley (broken left pinkie) and reliever Ernesto Frieri (strained lower back) on the 15-day DL. ... Pagan's previous leadoff homer came on Aug. 23, 2009, against Philadelphia.