Yu Darvish stifles Mets in Padres’ shutout victory

Gavin Sheets belted a two-run homer and Yu Darvish hurled seven scoreless innings as the San Diego Padres completed a three-game sweep of the visiting New York Mets with a 5-0 shutout on Wednesday afternoon.
Darvish (1-3), who entered the day with a 9.18 ERA in his first four starts after coming off the injured list July 7 following elbow issues, permitted only two hits and walked none while whiffing seven. Jason Adam and Robert Suarez completed San Diego’s 15th shutout, the most in MLB this year.
Mark Vientos lined a single up the middle in the first for New York before Darvish mowed down the next 13 hitters. Ronny Mauricio singled with two outs in the fifth and Brandon Nimmo doubled in the ninth, the only time the Mets got a runner into scoring position.
New York played without right fielder Juan Soto (foot contusion) after he fouled a pitch off his left foot during Tuesday night’s 7-1 loss.
Clay Holmes (9-6) lasted only 3 2/3 innings for the Mets, allowing eight hits and four runs (two earned). He walked two and struck out three.
Holmes faced trouble in the second and third innings after retiring the first two hitters. Martin Maldonado started a rally in the second with a single, followed by Holmes plunking Fernando Tatis Jr. and walking Luis Arraez to fill the bases. Manny Machado lined a two-run single to left for the only runs San Diego needed.
Sheets made it 4-0 in the third, taking advantage of a throwing error by shortstop Francisco Lindor that allowed Jose Iglesias to reach first. Sheets tied his career high with his 15th homer, a blast to right-center that traveled an estimated 427 feet.
Jackson Merrill capped the scoring in the eighth when he tagged reliever Rico Garcia for a sacrifice fly to center that scored Tatis, who led off with a walk and reached third via Arraez’s second hit of the day.
Machado and Maldonado also collected two hits for the Padres, who won despite going 1-for-11 with men in scoring position and stranding a dozen runners.