J.D. Martinez powers Mets to 5-1 win over Padres

J.D. Martinez hit two home runs and the Mets pitching staff gave up just two hits as they beat the Padres, 5-1, on Saturday at Citi Field.

Here are the takeaways…

–Padres starter Adam Mazur walked a tightrope on multiple occasions on Saturday. He walked six batters over his first three innings, but the Mets just couldn’t get the hit needed to push across any runs.

The Mets had one hit (a Harrison Bader single) through the first three and left seven runners on base. They were also 0-for-5 with RISP.

Francisco Lindor would finally get to Mazur in the fourth with a two-out double that he stretched thanks to the Padres outfield letting the ball trickle almost to the warning track. Brandon Nimmo followed with a double of his own to put the Mets ahead 1-0.

J.D. Martinez capped off the fourth with a two-run shot over the right-center field wall 391 feet on a 90 mph changeup from former Yankee Jhony Brito. He’d have an encore in the seventh when he led off with a 382-foot blast over, you guessed it, the right-center field wall to put the Mets up 4-1.

Martinez has driven in seven runs over his last three games and finished 3-for-3 with two walks.

–Jose Quintana had a great bounce-back start on Saturday. After failing to go five innings in his last two starts, the left-hander gave the Mets six strong innings.

His one mistake was giving up a solo shot to Jackson Merrill — the rookie’s fourth home run in three games — in the fifth.

Quintana finished pitching six innings (88 pitches/49 strikes) giving up one run on two hits, two walks while striking out six batters.

–DJ Stewart started in right field for Starling Marte, who got the day as he deals with knee soreness. The left-hander went 0-for-3.

Pete Alonso entered the game 1-for-18 at the plate but picked up a double and finished 1-for-5 with three strikeouts.

Nimmo, after having a couple of hits on Friday, went 2-for-5 and picked up an RBI single in the eighth to increase the Mets lead to 5-1.

-The Mets bullpen continued to dominate. After going four scoreless innings last night, the combination of Dedniel Nunez (2 IP) and Reed Garrett (1 IP) held the Padres down without giving up a hit in three innings of relief for Quintana.

Game MVP: J.D. Martinez

Where would the Mets be without Martinez? He drove in three of the Mets’ runs on Saturday and seven of the team’s last nine runs.

Highlights

What’s next

The Mets complete their first three-game set with the Padres on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:40 p.m.

Tylor Megill (1-3, 3.51 ERA) is on the mound for New York while Dylan Cease (6-5, 3.36 ERA) is on the bump for San Diego.