Sean Manaea continued his recent streak of solid performances in relief Sunday, pitching four innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits as the New York Mets defeated the San Diego Padres 7-3. The left-handed pitcher has now delivered six consecutive effective appearances since a difficult outing on May 6, when he was pulled after just one-third of an inning during a game in Colorado.

Manaea entered the game in a bulk relief role, working behind opener Huascar Brazobán and benefiting from a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. He faced a heavy lineup dominated by right-handed hitters, a challenge acknowledged by Mets manager Carlos Mendoza. Despite this, Manaea employed a mix of pitches, including a cutter, changeup, and fastball, generating swings and misses that helped him navigate through the opposing batters.

The turning point came in the bottom of the fifth when Padres infielder Freddy Fermin hit a two-run home run off Manaea, cutting the lead to 4-2. Following the homer, Manaea was replaced prior to the sixth inning. Reflecting on that pitch, Manaea expressed some regret, saying, “The first-pitch fastball to Fermin, I wish I got that back,” but described the overall outing as satisfactory.

Mendoza praised Manaea’s approach and resilience, noting that the pitcher “had to pitch today” against a challenging right-handed lineup and “did a really good job” using his arsenal effectively. The Mets extended their advantage with additional runs later in the game, securing a 7-3 victory over the Padres as Manaea continued to demonstrate improvement and reliability out of the bullpen.