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          New York Mets

          Rapid Reaction: Mets 7, Padres 0

          • Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff WriterJun 2, 2015, 04:33 AM
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              Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.
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          SAN DIEGO -- On the three-year anniversary of Johan Santana tossing the only no-hitter in New York Mets history, Jacob deGrom made things interesting.

          DeGrom retired the San Diego Padres' first 15 batters. Clint Barmes then produced a clean leadoff single through the right side of the infield in the bottom of the sixth.

          By then, the game was not in doubt, and the Mets coasted to a 7-0 win on Monday night at Petco Park.

          DeGrom ultimately tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out eight in a 105-pitch effort.

          The Mets (29-23) moved into a first-place tie with the rained-out Washington Nationals (28-22) atop the NL East -- although the Amazin's technically are percentage points behind.

          Daniel Murphy went 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Murphy hustled home from second base in the first inning when third baseman Will Middlebrooks threw high to first base for an error on the would-be third out. Murphy's two-run homer in the fifth against Andrew Cashner staked the Mets to a 4-0 lead. It marked the 13th four-hit game of Murphy's career. After hitting .198 in April, Murphy hit .330 in May.

          Ruben Tejada had hits in each of his first three at-bats. In four games since being installed as the regular third baseman in David Wright's absence, Tejada is hitting .471 (8-for-17) with four RBIs and three doubles.

          DeGrom struck out the first four batters he faced. When Barmes did single in the sixth, he eventually was erased as Abraham Almonte grounded into an inning-ending double play. DeGrom faced the minimum through 7 2/3 innings. Middlebrooks' two-out single in the eighth was the only other baserunner against deGrom.

          K corner: The Mets struck out 16 times. That came within three of matching the franchise record for a nine-inning game -- 19, all by St. Louis' Steve Carlton in a 4-3 complete-game loss on Sept. 15, 1969. Ron Swoboda had a pair of two-run homers against Carlton.

          Odds & ends: Darrell Ceciliani produced his first major league RBI, on a fifth-inning single against Cashner for a 5-0 lead. Ceciliani then notched his first career steal. … Matt Kemp and Padres manager Bud Black were ejected in the eighth. … Former Mets farmhand Cory Mazzoni tossed a scoreless eighth with one walk. He was traded to the Padres at the end of spring training for Alex Torres.

          What's next: Noah Syndergaard makes his fifth career major league start. Syndergaard (2-2, 2.55 ERA) opposes right-hander Ian Kennedy (2-5, 7.15) at 10:10 p.m. ET Tuesday.

          Wright, getting back treatment in L.A., is due to visit the team. He likely will address the media for the first time since landing on the disabled list after removing himself from an April 14 game.