Familia out Sunday due to family death

SAN DIEGO — Jeurys Familia’s appearance to pitch the eighth inning of a blowout Saturday night was curious to say the least.

But the reasoning for the righty reliever’s third appearance in four days was made clear after the Mets’ 12-2 loss to the Padres at Petco Park. Familia, according to manager Mickey Callaway will be away from the team Sunday following the passing of his father-inlaw.

The Mets have Monday as a scheduled day off, so Callaway wanted Familia to pitch an Saturday (he went an inning scoreless). In his previous appearance, Familia received a blown save on Thursday in St. Louis.

Also receiving work was lefty Jerry Blevins, who pitched a scoreless seventh. Before the game Callaway suggested Blevins — who entered with an 11.25 ERA in 12 appearances — needed to get his curveball biting.

“He doesn’t have the confidence obviously, probably because of the way he started, but I think we are going to stress to him — and have been — to use his curveball a little bit more,” Callaway said. “When it’s good, his curveball is down, it’s got bite and I just don’t see him throwing the ball the way he has in the past right now.”

Only exacerbating Blevins’ slump, the Mets do not have another lefty option in the bullpen.

Callaway gave Matt Harvey a passing grade for his performance against the Padres on Friday, when he allowed a solo homer to Franchy Cordero in the ninth inning. Harvey, in his second appearance since his reassignment to the bullpen, also walked a batter.

“I think, up five [runs], he went out there and at- tacked,” Callaway said. “He had a little trouble getting loose, he came in and that’s weird when you sit around for eight innings and then all of a sudden you have to get up and get in the game. But he’ll get used to that.”

Jacob Rhame was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas to clear roster space for Jason Vargas. The rookie reliever Rhame had been recalled from the minors on Friday, but did not pitch.

Yoenis Cespedes, who hit a two-run blast in the sixth, has a five-game hitting streak in which he is batting .316 with two homers and seven RBIs.