Jul 28, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Elias Diaz (17) hits a walk-off single during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
San Diego, California – The Padres’ flair for the dramatic was on full display Monday night at Petco Park, as Elías Díaz delivered a two-out walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to cap a wild 7–6 win over the NL East-leading New York Mets and snap their seven-game win streak.
The game-winner came after José Iglesias reached on a bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error, then moved up on Jake Cronenworth’s fielder’s choice. Díaz roped a line drive to left-center off Mets reliever Gregory Soto (0–3), sending the Padres charging out of the dugout to mob him in shallow right.
The win marked another gritty chapter in a Padres season that’s been full of fight. After falling behind 5–1 in the fifth—thanks in part to Mark Vientos’ first career grand slam—the Friars rallied for five runs of their own in the bottom half, powered by Luis Arraez’s two-run homer off the right-field foul pole and an epic bat flip to match.
Fernando Tatis Jr. may not have gone deep, but his leaping catch in the fourth robbed Vientos of what looked like a sure two-run shot and kept the Padres within striking distance. One inning later, the bats exploded.
Cronenworth’s two-out RBI single tied the game after Huascar Brazobán was late covering first on a grounder. The five-run inning gave the Friars a 6–5 lead they held until the top of the ninth, when Ronny Mauricio took All-Star closer Robert Suarez deep to tie it again. Suarez was going for his MLB-best 31st save but had to settle for the win instead (3–4), thanks to Díaz’s late heroics.
Padres starter Dylan Cease gave fans a scare in the third when he took a one-hopper off the back of the head from Francisco Lindor’s bat. After being checked by trainers, Cease stayed in the game and gutted through the outing. Moments later, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was ejected after arguing a called third strike to Juan Soto.
The win is a shot of momentum for a San Diego squad trying to claw its way into the playoff picture. More than anything, it was a reminder that this team won’t go down easy—not with this kind of heart, not in this ballpark.
Next up: Game two of the series on Tuesday, with the Friars aiming to keep the bats hot and the vibes alive.
