Freddy Fermin's first homer halts Padres' losing skid at six games
Griffin Canning wiped his brow as he walked back to the mound.
It was only the second inning. The single that slipped through the middle of the infield had allowed the Mets to strike first in a game just getting started, but early deficits feel deep gorges these days.
For a change, the Padres pulled themselves out of a hole.
A lucky bounce tied the game in the third inning and another in the seventh allowed Freddy Fermin to make up for an earlier misstep as his first homer of the season sent the Padres to a 3-2 win on Saturday over e thNew York Mets to halt a season-worst six-game skid.
"When Tatis’ ball hit second base, we all kind of were like, all right, this might be our day today," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "Something finally went our way, and a lot of things went our way tonight. And that helped us win the game."
Indeed.
The Padres managed just five hits, with one bouncing off a base to plate their first run of the game and another off a pitcher's glove cracking the door open for a hitter in the deepest of funks.
Fermin was not only in a career-worst, 0-for-30 drought, he entered the game with a team-worst .392 OPS, had just four extra-base hits all year, hadn't homered since Sept. 16, 2025 and began his day at the plate on Saturday by popping up a bunt to the pitcher to limit the Padres' opportunities in the third inning.
But Fermin got a bunt down in a fifth inning that came to an end when Sung-Mun Song was caught in a rundown, but a small win at the plate seemed to settle him down in the seventh, when he yanked a first-pitch sinker over the wall in left on a 99.3 mph line.
The 31-year-old catcher took a few steps toward first base as the ball arched toward the wall, watched it clear and then pounded the "Padres" on his chest as he looked into the dugout after gifting his team a 3-2 lead.
"I’ve never been a part of a slump as long as that," Fermin said of through interpreter Jorge Merlos. " … But everything like that has to come to an end eventually. So, good thing it came at a time where we came out with a victory at the end of the day, and that’s what’s what matters at the end of the day."
There was a runner on base for Fermin's go-ahead blast because Sung-Mun Song notched his second hit of the game on a soft single off the glove of diving reliever Austin Warren.
The Padres tied the game in the third inning when their first hit of the game - via Fernando Tatis Jr. - bounced off second base, allowing Song to score in an inning that looked doomed when Fermin followed a leadoff walk with a bunt popped to the pitcher.
An offense like the Padres' needs all the breaks it can get.
After all, they entered Saturday ranked last in runs scores, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS in taking a season-worst six-game losing streak into Saturday.
"You always have a fear sometimes when you go on these streaks, like, man, we’re never going to win a game," Stammen said. "That’s just what it feels like every time you drive home and sleep at night. Like, man, are we ever going to win one? And to pull one out like we did tonight, where it looked like we were in the game and then we lost the (tie game), and then we got it right back and then finished it off strong - it's just a really good feeling.
"Hopefully creates some more belief, like, yeah, we are a good team. We have done this for most of the season, a lot of wins like this, and this is how we’re going to win going forward in the season."
The Mets' first run came at the expense of a 29-pitch second inning from Canning. Their second scored in the seventh - a half-inning ahead of Fermin's go-ahead blast - when Marcus Semien touched rookie Bradgley Rodriguez for the first home run allowed in his career.
The Padres still needed another bounce to go their way in the eighth when Juan Soto lined into an inning-ending double play with two runners on to allow Jason Adam to escape the eighth unscathed.
That set up Mason Miller for a scoreless ninth - despite a two-out walk - for his first save since the Padres' last win on May 29 in Washington.
Canning allowed one run through five innings, his fewest since his Padres debut on May 3 (5 IP, 1 ER). He struck out six, walked two and paid for only one of three hits allowed, a seeing-eye single that plated a run in the second inning.
That rally began with Semien's one-out walk. A.J. Ewing followed with a single and Brett Baty's two-out single past a diving Song gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Outside of a 29-pitch second inning, Canning worked one-two-three innings in three of his five frames, got helped out of the fourth when Fermin threw out a would-be base-stealer and wound up throwing 51 of his 86 pitches for strikes.
The effort lowered his ERA to 6.34. He's still looking for his first win as a Padre, but he was more than happy to at least play stopper with the Padres' longest skid since 2021 looming.
"I think we all want to be the guy that does it," Canning said. "I think today proved it's kind of a team thing. I think everyone had their role. Everyone played their part. Just trying to go out there and put up zeros or a one to keep the team in the game.
"A good team win."
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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 10:02 PM.