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NEW YORK -- Six batters into the game, the New York Mets were down five runs. By the time it was over, Logan Verrett had lost his spot in the rotation.Ryan Schimpf hit two of San Diegos four homers off Verrett and drove in six runs as the Padres beat the reeling Mets 8-6 on Friday night.Fellow rookie Jabari Blash and Christian Bethancourt also connected early for the Padres, who handed the defending NL champions their fourth straight defeat and sixth in seven games. New York (57-58) fell below .500 for the first time since April 17.Still, manager Terry Collins was pleased with the effort, by comparison. Thats how bad things have been going for the Mets lately.You saw a lot better energy tonight, a lot more passion, Collins said. There were some very good at-bats tonight. I thought the energy level was much better today.Beneath a dark sky with lightning flashing, the Padres produced some quick thunder against Verrett (3-8), who has been filling in for injured starter Matt Harvey.After the game, Collins said the Mets now plan to turn to Jon Niese in that slot.One day after getting swept at home by last-place Arizona, the Mets again failed to look like legitimate wild-card contenders. San Diego, which has alternated wins and losses since July 26, jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning -- including a grand slam by Schimpf.Travis Jankowski opened with a single, and Wil Myers and Yangervis Solarte walked to load the bases.After a popout to left field, Schimpf sent a 1-0 fastball just over the center-field wall for his first career slam.As Mets fans began to chant Rainout! Rainout! hoping for a reprieve, Blash hit an opposite-field home run into the visitors bullpen to make it 5-0.The threatening clouds passed, and inclement weather couldnt save New York.Travis dArnaud, who had three hits, got the Mets on the board in the second, lining a two-run homer to left off Padres starter Paul Clemens.We all showed that we never give up no matter how much we were down, dArnaud said.San Diego answered immediately in the third. Schimpf sent a two-run shot into the right-field upper deck, his 12th home run in 47 games. Two batters later, Bethancourt chased Verrett with a solo home run, putting the Padres up 8-2.The four homers allowed by Verrett, who gave up eight runs in 2 2/3 innings, were the most for a Mets starter since Bartolo Colon also served up four in April 2014.I put us in a hole 5-0 in the first inning and what did they do? They battled back, Verrett said. Thats the kind of guys we have on this team. Im proud as hell of the way they played today.Clemens (2-2) pitched five innings of three-run ball, and Brandon Maurer worked a flawless ninth for his fifth save.Jay Bruce had an RBI single in the fifth, and New York rallied in the sixth against San Diegos bullpen.After dArnaud led off with a single, Alejandro De Aza was hit in the neck by Buddy Baumanns 87 mph fastball. De Aza was OK, and Matt Reynolds followed with an RBI double. Ty Kelly had a run-scoring single to make it 8-5.They did not roll over at all, Padres manager Andy Green said. They fought and made it a heck of a baseball game.Left-hander Brad Hand struck out Curtis Granderson, and pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores grounded into a fielders choice that scored Reynolds.To come back and make it a game, Collins said, I was impressed with the way they went about it.A trio of Mets relievers combined for 6 1/3 perfect innings with eight strikeouts.LETS TRY THISNiese will likely take Verretts next turn in the rotation if he is physically up to it. Nieses left knee has been bothering him lately, according to Collins, but the left-hander seems to be feeling better.Were going to make a change in that spot, Collins said. Just making sure Jons knee is going to be OK. ... Looks like hes going to be fine.TRAINERS ROOMMets INF Jose Reyes (oblique) continued his rehab assignment with Class A Brooklyn, going 2 for 5 with a double, an RBI and two runs while playing seven innings at third base.UP NEXTPadres: RHP Jarred Cosart (0-1, 5.79 ERA) makes his third start for San Diego since being acquired from Miami. He has allowed five runs on 11 hits and six walks in 8 1/3 innings with the Padres.Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (7-5, 2.35) goes for his fourth straight quality start Saturday night. He is 2-1 with a 1.62 ERA since the All-Star break. Anthony Sherman Womens Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Tony Gonzalez Jersey . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. http://www.prochiefsauthentic.com/Youth-Anthony-Sherman-Elite-Jersey/ . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Frank Clark Chiefs Jersey . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. Patrick Mahomes Youth Jersey . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Legspinner Graeme Cremer, who led Zimbabwe in the limited-overs series against India in June, has been named captain for the upcoming two-Test home series against New Zealand. Uncapped batsman Prince Masvaure features in the 16-man squad. Opener Vusi Sibanda has been dropped, while a back injury has ruled out fast bowler Tinashe Panyangara.Masvaure had been in form for Zimbabwe A in the recently concluded unofficial Tests against South Africa A, scoring 277 runs from four innings at 92.33, including a century and a half-century.The squad includes allrounder Chamu Chibhabha, who has played 96 ODIs but is yet to make his Test debut. Two others who have debuted in ODIs but are yet to play Test cricket feature in the squad: opener Peter Moor and fast bowler Taurai Muzarabani.Returning to the squad are batsmen Tino Mawoyo - who last played a Test in 2013, and any international cricket in 2014 - and Sean Williams, and fast bowlers Njjabulo Ncube and Donald Tiripano.ddddddddddddEither Ncube - who played his only Test so far in November 2011 - or Tiripano is likely to open the bowling with Tendai Chatara.Zimbabwes previous Test assignment was 20 months ago, in Bangladesh, when former captain Brendan Taylor was still part of the set-up; Cremer was not part of that squad.Several players miss out from the squad that played in Bangladesh, including long-time limited-overs captain Elton Chigumbura (who had stepped down from the role in January this year) and the two younger Masakadza brothers: Shingi and Wellington. Zimbabwe had lost that series 3-0. Their last Test at home was in August 2014, a one-off game against South Africa, which the visitors won by nine wickets.Zimbabwes series against New Zealand begins on July 28, in Bulawayo. ' ' '