Tong guides Mets to series-clinching win over Padres

Jonah Tong made his mark in a high-leverage moment for the Mets, delivering five innings of one-unearned-run ball with eight strikeouts in a 6-1 win over the San Diego Padres to clinch the series at Citi Field. The crowd of 38,127 provided a standing ovation as Tong took a step forward in a rotation that has been auditioning for October innings, with New York sitting two games ahead of the idle Diamondbacks in the playoff race. The start came after a tough previous outing against the Rangers, when Tong did not survive the first inning and doubts about his spot in the rotation resurfaced, making this performance all the more meaningful.

Tong did it by leaning on his velocity, throwing fastballs for strikes and using the heater aggressively in the strike zone. He relied less on a changeup that hadn’t induced much chase and instead attacked hitters with a four-seam fastball that kept Padres hitters off balance. He walked none, allowed four hits and needed 82 pitches to complete five innings, retiring the final eight batters faced. He became the first Mets pitcher 22 or younger to strike out eight or more since Noah Syndergaard in 2015.

The Mets plated their first runs in the third and had plenty of support from Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo. Alonso homered in the first inning, and Nimmo followed with a three-run homer off ex-Yankee Wandy Peralta in the third, capping a four-run frame that gave New York a comfortable lead. Alonso extended a streak of four straight games with a homer, a sign of the veteran left fielder taking on a larger role as New York navigates a crowded, late-season schedule.

San Diego briefly answered in the third on a sequence that included a single, an error, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly that traveled only 233 feet. Fernando Tatis Jr. singled and took second after Tong’s pickoff attempt bounced away, but Nimmo’s fielding assist and subsequent hits helped keep the Mets ahead as Tong settled in.

Mets relievers Tyler Rogers, Brooks Raley, Gregory Soto and Edwin Diaz combined for four scoreless, two-hit innings to preserve Tong’s line and seal the victory. The bullpen has steadied a rotation still finding its balance as the club pursues October innings and a potential playoff run.

The win moved the Mets to 79-74 on the season, two games ahead of the idle Diamondbacks. It was the franchise’s first series victory since taking two of three at Detroit earlier in September, a signal that the team’s late-season push is taking shape. Tong’s emergence has provided a tangible storyline for a rotation needed to supplement offense in a year when New York has leaned on home runs from Alonso and Nimmo to drive results. Teammate and fellow top prospect Jett Williams offered a candid assessment of Tong’s arrival: “Not a lot of defense,” Williams said. “It’s nice being able to just chill.”