San Diego Padres at New York Mets: Final Score & Recap

The New York Mets defeated the San Diego Padres 2-1 at Citi Field on August 17, 2026, with both of New York's runs coming in the bottom of the first inning and the Padres managing their only run in the top of the second. From that point forward the game settled into a taut pitching duel that neither offense could crack, with San Diego failing to score across the final seven innings despite generating seven hits on the night. The DiamondIQ model entered the game giving the Mets a 46 percent win probability, and by the final out that figure had climbed to 100 percent.

The most consequential sequence of the game unfolded in the seventh inning. Fernando Tatis Jr. grounded into a double play off Jonathan Pintaro that drained 13.2 percent from San Diego's win probability, effectively extinguishing what had been the Padres' most credible late-game threat. Luis Rengifo had done his part moments earlier, singling off Pintaro for a 6.4 percent positive swing, but the Tatis double play erased that momentum in a single pitch. In the bottom of the seventh, Luis Robert Jr. grounded out against Kyle Hart at a cost of 7.3 percent win probability for New York's side, keeping the Mets' advantage intact. The ninth inning was sealed when Gavin Sheets struck out against Daniel Duarte, a swing of minus 7.1 percent that ended San Diego's hopes.

On the individual ledger, Francisco Lindor led all position players with a WPA of plus 6.8 percent and a RE24 of plus 0.4, making him the Mets' most impactful bat. Among the pitching staff, Nolan McLean headlined a dominant collective effort with a WPA of plus 29.6 percent, followed by Daniel Duarte at plus 15.2 percent and Jonathan Pintaro at plus 13.7 percent. That trio combined to shut down a Padres lineup that, despite a seven-hit afternoon, could not convert against New York's pitching after the second inning.