New York Mets vs San Diego Padres Prediction & Picks - MLB

Prediction published on 9/18/25, 9:31 AM  by Carlos Zabala | Modified on 9/18/25 at 4:00 PM in MLB Picks

At Citi Field in Queens, more than 40,000 people gathered to witness the continuation of an epic series between the Mets and Padres, with the New Yorkers needing wins more than ever, but ultimately losing 4-7 to San Diego. Fortunately for Carlos Mendoza's team, the D-backs also lost on Wednesday, so the Mets maintain their 1.5-point lead over Arizona for the final wild card.

Wednesday's game was a spectacle, with the stars on both sides in excellent form, but the Padres' hitting proved to be more clutch. In the fifth inning, with the score tied 2-2, Manny Machado hit a grand slam, scoring Arraez, Tatis, and Cronenworth. It ended up being the game that clinched the game.

Even so, the Mets' bats fought back, with a 3-2 count, and Pivetta missed a breaking pitch against Soto, who ended up homering off him, hitting his 42nd of the season. Earlier, Pete Alonso hit a solo home run early in the game, Marte hit his ninth home run of the year, and Francisco Álvarez connected on another that had to be reviewed by cameras.

Ultimately, it's the Mets' starting pitching that's the main cause of the New Yorkers' disastrous streak they can't shake off. Left-hander Peterson didn't have a standout performance on the mound; he allowed six ERs. The rest of the Mets bullpen pitched four innings of just one ER.