Even in the best of times, the Mets rarely make things easy.

That’s not even all of it: Huascar Brazoban’s misplay allowed the Padres to score the tying run. Padres starter Dylan Cease was whacked in the head by a one-hopper and stayed in the game. He wasn’t even the only pitcher to eat grass Monday.

Bednar broke a two-month streak of not allowing an earned run on Monday night, but still picked up his 17th save of the season. Meanwhile, Santana owns a 1.39 ERA and minuscule 0.84 WHIP in 45 1/3 innings.

New York Mets corner infielder Mark Vientos is in the midst of a disappointing season, one in which he's failed to build on last year's momentum. Predictably, Vientos has found himself the subject of recent trade rumors leading up to the July 31 deadline -- a dynamic he opted to talk about with reporters on Monday.