The former Padre and San Diego County native drove in five runs with a double and his third home run of the season to trigger the New York Mets to a 14-2 victory over the Padres in the rubber match of a three-game series at Petco Park.

The Mets posted season highs in runs and hits (19). They also batted around in both the seventh and eighth innings, scoring five runs in each.

Gonzalez hit a two-run, two-out double in the third off Padres starter and loser Bryan Mitchell to extend the Mets early lead to 4-0. He then hooked, an opposite-field, three-run homer into the left-field corner off Jordan Lyles as part of the Mets' five run-seventh.

Gonzalez's 360-foot drive was the first of three homers the Mets would hit against the Padres' bullpen. Todd Frazier hit a two-run homer off Kazuhisa Makita in the eighth and Jose Reyes connected two hitters later off the Japanese submariner.

Right-handed starter Zack Wheeler was the beneficiary of the Mets' offense. He allowed two runs on six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts over five innings to improve to 2-1.

The Mets scored in each of the first three innings against Mitchell, who gave up four runs on five hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings to fall to 0-3 on the season with a 6.07 earned run average in six starts.

Yoenis Cespedes doubled with two outs in the first and scored on Jay Bruce's single through the Padres' shift. Jose Reyes walked in the second, stole second and scored on Tomas Nido's single.

In the Mets' third, Cespedes singled with one out and moved to second on a walk to Bruce. After both advanced on a double steal, Gonzalez doubled them home. Cespedes left the game in the bottom of the inning after injuring his thumb on a headfirst slide during the double steal. He was replaced by Brandon Nimmo.

Singles by Nimmo and Todd Frazier preceded Gonzalez's third homer of the season in the seventh. Gonzalez is the all-time leader in home runs at Petco Park with 65, 25 more than No. 2 on the list.

Gonzalez was the lone Met with three hits. Eight Mets had two hits.

The Padres were paced by A.J. Ellis, who went 2-for-4, and Freddie Galvis, who knocked in both San Diego runs with a two-run single in the third to cut the Mets' lead in half at 4-2 -- before the bullpen imploded.

--Field Level Media