JAY PARIS
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Huston Street was in the San Diego Padres’ bullpen on Friday night — for the last time.
Soon after the Padres lost 5-4 to the New York Mets it was announced that Street had been traded to the Los Angeles Angels in a six-player deal.
Because the trade had been agreed to earlier Friday, Street was unavailable to pitch for the Padres.
The Angels need bullpen help and Street, an All-Star who has 24 saves in 25 chances this season, should provide that.
The Padres need to revamp their roster and they are hopeful the four minor leaguers they acquired will do just that.
Padres manager Bud Black said it was difficult to see Street go.
“He’s been a great Padre, no doubt about it,” he said. “What he’s done on the field speaks for itself.”
Joaquin Benoit will assume Street’s closer role with the Padres, He had a rough ninth inning on Friday when he entered the tied game.
Travis d’Arnaud’s go-ahead single lifted the Mets to their fourth straight win and sent the Padres to their third consecutive loss.
Street arrived in San Diego after the 2011 season and enjoyed his stay.
“I love this place,” Street said. “I think that when you have personal success you have great memories.”
With Street gone many wonder if third baseman Chase Headley is next. His name has also been mentioned in trade talks, and with him eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season, he appears to be a prime target.
“Unfortunately, it’s part of the business,” Headley said. “When the season goes this way, when your record is what ours is, decisions like this one are made.”
Mets starter Bartolo Colon was strong early, which was different for him. He had allowed a first-inning run in five consecutive starts, before shutting down the Padres over the first 4 1-3 innings.
The Padres snapped a 25-inning scoreless skid when they scored four in the fifth to tie it.
Will Venable opened with a single, Jake Goebbert walked, and they advanced on a double steal. Chris Nelson, who joined the Padres earlier Friday from Triple A El Paso, singled in Venable.
Alexi Amarista, who had three hits, followed with a run-scoring single to slice San Diego’s deficit in half. After Nelson and Amarista moved up on Seth Smith’s grounder to first, Headley tied it with a two-run single.
New York extended its lead to 4-0 in the third when Duda scored after starting the inning with a double. D’Arnaud drove in Duda with his second single of the night.
The Mets struck early with three first-inning runs as Ian Kennedy struggled after getting two outs. Kennedy, who had surrendered just two runs in 21 innings, allowed three hits, nailed Duda with a pitch, and walked Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
The key blow was Juan Lagares’ single that scored Duda and d’Arnaud, who was aboard on a single that drove in Granderson.
July had been good to Kennedy (7-10). In his last three starts, he allowed two runs over 21 innings (0.86 ERA) and limited hitters to a .197 average (14 for 71). He had struck out 22 with just seven walks.
Going into his 21st start, Kennedy’s 133 strikeouts in 124 1-3 innings were the third-best in the National League, trailing only Washington’s Stephen Strasburg (149) and Cincinnati’s Johnny Cueto (141).
It was the second-most strikeouts at the All-Star break by a Padres pitcher in franchise history, behind Andy Benes’ 134 in 1994.
But against the surging Mets, Kennedy wasn’t up to the task. He was gone early. Street was gone for good.
“You’re always aware of the possibility of being traded,” Street said. “I was very, very appreciative of how the Padres handled that. It made it easier on my family and myself.”
NOTES: Padres RHP Andrew Cashner, sidelined by a sore right shoulder, will throw on Saturday. … 2B Jedd Gyorko will play this weekend for Triple A El Paso as he rebounds from plantar fasciitis in his left foot. … Padres SS Everth Cabrera (left hamstring strain) is expected to leave Monday for a rehabilitation assignment. … Mets RHP Jon Niese (left shoulder strain) threw a bullpen session on Friday. … The Mets are 4-2-1 in their last seven series. … Mets RHP Dillon Gee (4-1, 2.56) faces Padres RHP Tyson Ross (7-10, 2.85) on Saturday night.
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