J.D. Martinez had said multiple times in recent days that the Mets suddenly have started to play with “no pressure,” and as if the rest of baseball is “counting us out.”
Martinez continued his recent offensive binge with two more home runs Saturday to support one of Jose Quintana’s finest starts of the season in a 5-1 win over the Padres at Citi Field.
Carlos Mendoza’s team suddenly has won four in a row and 10 of its past 14 games, with Martinez also belting a walk-off home run against the Marlins on Thursday before driving in both runs in a 2-1 victory one night later to open this three-game set with San Diego.
“I think it’s good for us to just continue to play loose, but approaching every game every day like we got to take care of business,” Mendoza said. “At the same time, we’re keeping it loose, keeping it fun, going about our business the right way, with preparation and accountability and pushing each other.
“That’s what they’re doing. And once the games start, go out and compete, give your best, and we’re seeing some good results here. I expect the guys to continue to have fun and continue to prepare and go out there and get results.”
Mendoza and the Mets (32-37) have been waiting for Quintana to do that and needed him to at least last deeper than he had in allowing six earned runs over 7 2/3 combined innings in his previous two June outings against the Diamondbacks and the Phillies.
The $26 million lefty worked six strong innings Saturday, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
Before the game, Mendoza had said he was optimistic about getting an improved performance out of Quintana, despite only one win and a 5.29 ERA in his first 13 appearances this season.
“He’s been there before,” Mendoza said. “So trust your stuff, have some conviction. I’m pretty confident that Quintana will give us a quality outing.”
Quintana posted zeroes in each of the first four innings ,and he retired nine batters in a row following a one-out double by Fernando Tatis Jr. in the first.
Still, the Mets also couldn’t score in the early going despite six walks through three by Padres rookie starter Adam Mazur.
They were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven runners in the first three innings, including the bases loaded in the second.
Still, the Mets displayed some strong defense in the fourth to keep the game scoreless, beginning with Brandon Nimmo reaching into the stands to snare a foul ball.
Francisco Lindor also ranged to his left and fed Jeff McNeil at second with a no-look backhanded flip or a force play to end the inning.
Lindor and Nimmo teamed up offensively for the Mets’ first run in the fourth, chasing Mazur with consecutive two-out doubles for a 1-0 lead.
Martinez then greeted former Yankees righty Jhony Brito with a full-count homer to right-center for a three-run lead.
Jackson Merrill recouped one of those runs for the Padres with a first-pitch solo blast against Quintana with one out in the fifth.
Still, Quintana struck out three in the inning and maintained the 3-1 advantage through the sixth, finishing with 88 pitches.
Martinez added a leadoff blast to the opposite field in the bottom half off Enyel De Los Santos, his eighth of the season, for a 4-1 lead.
The veteran DH, who was 3-for-3 with two walks, has recorded 11 RBIs over his past seven appearances.
Emerging reliever Dedniel Nunez took over in the seventh and recorded six outs before Reed Garrett worked the ninth after Nimmo had added an RBI single in the previous half-inning for a four-run cushion.
