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NEW YORK -- A stirring run to the World Series in 2015 didn't end with a championship for the New York Mets, who took solace in the belief they had found two vital foundation pieces -- a homegrown middle-of-the-order hitter and a homegrown staff ace -- during the postseason. Nineteen months later, the Mets are getting more than they ever could have imagined from Michael Conforto as they take what they can get from Matt Harvey.
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Conforto hit two homers Tuesday night, including a leadoff homer that sparked a seven-run first inning, as the Mets provided Harvey plenty of run support in a 9-3 win over the San Diego Padres at Citi Field.
Conforto provided the bookends to a nightmarish outing by Padres starter Jhoulys Chacin by homering to end a 10-pitch at-bat and delivering a two-run, two out single to cap the Mets' biggest first inning since 2004. He added a solo homer in the fourth, his 13th blast of the season, and finished 3-for-4 to lift his batting average to .333.
In 25 starts batting leadoff, Conforto is hitting .323 with 10 homers, 20 RBIs and 27 runs.
"He's in one of those grooves that great hitters get into that you just don't want to mess with," Mets manager Terry Collins said.
It wasn't always this easy for Conforto, who hit nine homers in 56 regular-season games as a rookie in 2015 and added three homers in 12 playoff games, including a pair of solo shots in Game 4 of the World Series. He got off to a hot start last season (.365 in April) but batted just .174 after May 1, a stretch in which he was demoted twice to Triple-A Las Vegas.
"I had some experiences last year -- maybe I was pressing a little bit -- but now I just feel like I have a solid routine, solid approach at the plate," Conforto said. "Just try to be natural up there. Just see the ball and hit it. Keep it simple. And it seems to be working."
Not much is working for Harvey (3-3), who labored despite being staked to the big early lead. Harvey allowed two runs -- both in the second inning -- on three hits and four walks while striking out six over five innings.
Harvey wriggled out of trouble in the third, when the Padres had two on with one out before their No. 3 and No. 4 hitters, Wil Myers and Ryan Schimpf, struck out and lined out, respectively.
"That was our one opportunity to get back and make a game out of it -- right in the heart of our order with guys on base," Padres manager Andy Green said.
Harvey had just one 1-2-3 inning but said four times during a four-minute postgame press conference that he took solace from feeling good in the fifth, when he struck out the side.
"Going out there and feeling the best in the fifth is definitely a step in the right direction," Harvey said.
Harvey started for the National League in the 2013 All-Star Game and posted a 2.75 ERA in 216 innings between the regular season and playoffs in 2015. However, Tuesday marked the fifth straight start in which Harvey failed to last six innings, a stretch that included a three-game team suspension for failure to report to the park for a game on May 6.
"We all want this guy to rise to the top so fast, because we know how good he can be," Collins said. "But you know what? Even during those times when he had that plus stuff, whether it be in 2013 or 2015, you know what, once in a while, he didn't have very good stuff. You've got to be able to pitch through it. And tonight, he pitched through it."
Chacin, on the other hand, became the second Padres pitcher in four games who could not pitch through the first inning. Jered Weaver also gave up seven runs in two-thirds of an inning on Friday.
On Tuesday, Chacin (4-4) lasted just two-thirds of an inning -- tied for the shortest start of his career -- and allowed seven runs on eight hits while failing to record a walk or a strikeout.
"It is tough when you are not giving the team a chance to win, like I did today," Chacin said.
Curtis Granderson (sacrifice fly), Wilmer Flores (RBI single) and Lucas Duda (two-run double) knocked in runs in the first. Duda capped the scoring with an RBI single in the seventh for the Mets (19-24), who have won three of four.
Cory Spangenberg and Austin Hedges had run-scoring groundouts in the second, and Schimpf homered leading off the sixth for the Padres (16-31), who have lost six of seven.
NOTES: New York 1B Lucas Duda finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. ... The Mets recalled LHP Josh Smoker from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned RHP Hansel Robles to the same affiliate. ... The Padres recalled INF Carlos Asuaje from Triple-A El Paso and optioned RHP Jose Valdez to the same affiliate.
