Torrens’ triple helps lift Padres over Mets

San Diego — The Mets' Rene Rivera sent a shot up the middle, a certain two-run single that would close the gap with the Padres.

But Allen Cordoba had other ideas and his diving stab help preserve a 6-3 win for the Padres on Wednesday night.

"I saw the ball come off the bat and I just wanted to try and make the play and not let any runs score," he said through a translator.

Cordoba stretched to field the ball, bounced to his feet and fired to first to retire Rivera.

"That was as big of a play as we have had all year," Padres manager Andy Green said.

They were other standouts as Luis Torrens had three RBIs, Manuel Margot homered and Jhoulys Chacin was effective through 5 1/3 innings. But it was Cordoba's web gem that was likely the difference.

Torrens' first career triple came with the bases loaded in the Padres' four-run third inning.

Margot's first-inning homer set the tone as the Mets lost for just the second time in their last eight games.

Chacin (10-7), who had lost five of six decisions to the Mets, flipped that script with a solid outing. He reached the double-digit victory mark for the first time since 2013 by allowing two runs and four hits. The right-hander walked three and struck out five.

Brad Hand worked the ninth, earning his fourth save and pushing his scoreless string to 17 1/3 innings.

Steven Matz (2-4) lasted only three innings as he lost his third straight decision and extended his streak to five outings without a win. He surrendered six runs and nine hits, with four strikeouts.

"If you don't locate, you're going to get knocked around in this league," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "You gotta get the ball off the middle of the plate."

In his last three starts Matz has pitched a total of nine innings, charged with 16 runs and 27 hits.

"I don't feel fatigued," Matz said. "I feel good and healthy out there. There's really no excuses to how I'm pitching."