SAN DIEGO_A 22-year-old rookie chased history Thursday. Even newer to the stage, a 30-year-old teammate collected another career milestone. The possibilities were evident in a 7-5 victory over the New York Mets.
San Diego Padres center fielder Manuel Margot, who entered this season as a top prospect, finished a triple shy of the first cycle in Petco Park history. He settled for his fourth consecutive multi-hit game.
Shortstop Dusty Coleman, who entered this season with five major league at-bats to his name, launched a 417-foot drive out to right-center. He circled the bases on his third major league hit.
In the midst of creating memories, both players supplied critical moments. Each drove in a career-high three runs. The Mets rallied in the seventh. Padres right-hander Luis Perdomo was tagged with four runs over 6 2/3 innings. Thanks to Margot and Coleman, he still wound up a winner.
Margot already had been on a tear. In the first three games of the series, he went 7-for-12. Wednesday, he homered and tripled in his first two at-bats. He began Thursday batting .272, having shown flashes, but not yet sustained stretches, of game-changing ability.
"There's a lot more in there," Padres manager Andy Green said before the game. "There's a lot of good stuff that's already happened, but I'm equally excited about his future."
Margot quickly showed why. Leading off the bottom of the first, he laced a solo home run over the left-field wall. Carlos Asuaje followed with a walk. The second baseman came around to score on a fielder's choice. The Padres led, 2-1.
In the bottom of the second, the Padres loaded the bases. Coleman, who took a fastball off his back, was standing on second, when Margot strode to the plate with one out.
Down 0-2 in the count, he fouled off a pair of pitches. Then he smacked a line drive to center. With catcher Luis Torrens running ahead of him, Margot stopped short of a triple, settling for a two-run double as Torrens scored on a throwing error.
Margot and Coleman each showed aptitude in the third. New York's Asdrubal Cabrera opened the inning with a double. The next batter, Yoenis Cespedes, sent a grounder to Coleman. After fielding the ball, the shortstop saw that Cabrera had strayed too far off second. A rundown ensued. Cabrera was trapped.
At the same time, Margot sprinted in from center. In a few seconds, he was standing near Cespedes, covering first base. Margot's hustle went for naught _ no throw was made, and a double-play opportunity was squandered _ but it did not go unnoticed in the home dugout.
In the bottom of the inning, Coleman went to bat with one out. The minor league signee had been promoted from Triple-A on Monday. On Tuesday, he doubled for his first major league hit.
On Thursday, he singled for hit No. 2.
Coleman came up again in the fifth, with two on and two outs. This time, he ambushed a first-pitch fastball. Rounding first, Coleman celebrated his first major league home run with a fist pump. He had given the Padres a 7-1 lead.
They certainly needed it. In the seventh, Perdomo was lifted after an RBI double. Jose Torres balked in a run. Jay Bruce cranked a two-run homer. The Mets had cut the deficit to two.
Phil Maton came on to oust the next four New York batters. Brad Hand retired the side in the ninth, converting another save opportunity.
Margot, who bunted for a single in the fourth, grounded out in his final at-bat.
