Tong steadied after a rough turn in the majors, delivering five innings with eight strikeouts against San Diego as the Mets won 6-1 and kept pace in the NL Wild Card race.

New York rode Nimmo’s three‑run homer and Alonso’s first‑inning power while Tong’s velocity and changes kept hitters off balance; the Mets protected their rookie with a thoughtful workload plan, signaling a bright frontline‑starter ceiling for the young right-hander.

Gavin Sheets carried the Padres with a three-hit night, but San Diego couldn’t overcome a four-run fourth inning sparked by Jake Cronenworth’s miscue in Target Field. The Twins seized the momentum early with two runs off Cronenworth and pushed ahead as Larnach’s ball got through Peralta for a critical sequence. Fernando Tatis Jr. provided late-life in the seventh with a two-run single to tighten things, yet Minnesota held on for a 7-4 win. The loss drops San Diego’s road trip record to 1-3, highlighting the high-variance nature of this late-season slate.

Fantasy take: Sheets’ hot night makes him worth attention in deeper leagues, while Tatis remains a volatile but explosive option. For Twins stacks, Larnach, Lewis, and Buxton delivered timely power and RBI chances. Meanwhile, Cronenworth’s error-laden inning raises questions about defense-driven volatility, but the Padres’ offense still has pop when the lineup is aligned. Monitor bullpen usage for the next West Coast trip and whether Peralta settles in as a trusted piece when Cronenworth isn’t aligned defensively.

Padres third baseman Manny Machado attempted a hidden-ball trick on Jarren Duran with Duran on third and one out in the third, but being on the rubber rendered the move illegal and a balk scored Duran. The sequence shifted the early frame and helped Boston push its lead to 3-1 after Masataka Yoshida’s grounder brought Trevor Story home. San Diego answered, taking a 4-3 lead by the fifth, only to be forced to extra innings by Ramón Laureano’s RBI knock that scored Bogaerts from second. Laureano then delivered the decisive run in the 10th, giving San Diego a 5-4 victory. The play spotlighted Manny Machado’s high baseball IQ, even as spring training quirks underscore how fine the margins are on baserunning and deception.

Wandy Peralta has opted to stay with the San Diego Padres after exercising his $4.25 million option, securing a potential four-year contract worth $16.5 million. The left-hander had a solid season, posting a 3.99 ERA across 46 relief appearances despite a mid-season injury.

In contrast, Ha-Seong Kim has declined his $8 million mutual option, opting for free agency after a challenging season marred by a shoulder injury that required surgery. He finished with a .233 batting average, 11 home runs, and 22 stolen bases.