Luebke pitches Padres over Mets
Jonathon Niese stands on the mound after giving up a run during the first inning. (Aug. 16, 2011) Credit: Getty Images
Rookie Cory Luebke pitched six strong innings to lead the San Diego Padres to a 6-1 win over the slumping New York Mets on Tuesday night.
Luebke (5-6) allowed one run and three hits, struck out five and walked three. Chad Qualls, Luke Gregerson and Erik Hamren each got three outs to complete the four-hitter.
Nick Hundley had three hits, including two triples, for San Diego, which rapped out 15 hits to reach double figures for the second straight game. Orlando Hudson drove in two runs and Cameron Maybin hit his eighth homer, a leadoff drive in the seventh.
New York starter Jonathon Niese (11-10) surrendered 10 hits over six innings, but allowed just three runs, two coming in the first. The left-hander struck out three and walked none.
The Mets, who have dropped 12 of 16 overall, lost for the 11th time in 14 games at Petco Park. New York, which won the first game of the three-game series on Monday night, has never won a set at Petco since the ballpark opened in 2004.
Luebke struggled with his control early, walking two batters in the first inning and another in the second. He hit Lucas Duda leading off the fourth, leading to the Mets' only run.
Jason Bay flied out and Scott Hairston bounced into a fielder's choice, but Ronny Paulino followed with a base hit and Ruben Tejada added an RBI double. Luebke then struck out Niese to end the inning.
Hundley and Hudson each had an RBI single in the first. Aaron Cunningham, the only Padres starter without a hit, added a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning.
Hundley and Fred Kendall (1973) are the only Padres catchers to accomplish the feat.
Mike Pelfrey, the Mets' scheduled starter Friday against Milwaukee, faced three batters in the eighth. He allowed Hundley's leadoff triple and a one-out RBI single by Alberto Gonzalez before he was replaced.
