300th save for Isringhausen in Mets' 5-4 win

Move over, John Franco. Step aside, Billy Wagner. The Mets anointed their third member of the 300-save club late Monday night when Jason Isringhausen nailed down a 5-4 victory over the Padres at PETCO Park.

Isringhausen, 38, joined Franco and Wagner as the third closer to reach No. 300 in a Mets uniform, but he had to wait until the 10th inning Monday to make history. Even then, he supplied plenty of suspense.

After striking out Kyle Blanks to open the inning, Isringhausen walked Orlando Hudson and allowed a single to Nick Hundley. Alberto Gonzalez followed with a grounder that Ruben Tejada could only turn into one out at first base.

So with the go-ahead runs on base, Isringhausen faced Logan Forsythe, and he lined a low bullet at Tejada. The shortstop bobbled it for a moment, but not long enough to prevent him from throwing to first for the final out.

Isringhausen pumped his fist and Josh Thole charged out to the mound to congratulate the closer, who received plenty of handshakes and hugs from the Mets as they streamed onto the field.

Said manager Terry Collins, "It puts him in the elite group of closers that have ever pitched in this game, and he certainly deserves it.

"I'm sure he's been on pins and needles going crazy trying to wait for an opportunity to get that 300th. I'm just glad we got it out of the way. Now we can move forward. It's certainly deserving and I'm really happy for him. I'm thrilled.''

Not bad for a guy who showed up in Port St. Lucie with only his glove and a duffel bag for a spring training training audition. But he was signed the next day, and the Mets handed Isringhausen the closer's job after trading Francisco Rodriguez during the All-Star break. He's converted seven of his eight save chances since then.

Isringhausen, who pitched in only nine games in 2009 and did not pitch in 2010, has had Tommy John surgery three times. Said Collins, "If nothing else, it proves that you got to battle, you got to hang in there, and he's the ultimate example of it, a guy that a year ago was out of baseball, his career was over, figure his arm was hurt and wasn't going to pitch anymore. He's just endured."

Said Isringhausen, "It feels good. We had the champagne party here a while ago, and stuff like that, so it was fun. It is special. The reason I came back was to get 300 and I got it, so now it's time to move on for myself and keep playing baseball and hopefully get a few more saves before the end of the year.

"I was thinking about it tonight -- sitting out in the bullpen. When they tied the game, I was wondering if I ever was going to get a chance to get it. It's been a long year -- it's been a long couple years for me. I didn't want to see what happened with Frankie and Carlos and stuff, but it put me in a position to where I could achieve this. I've already got a couple texts from Frankie on my phone, so I haven't read them yet. It's nice. I'm just glad it's over with and we can go about playing baseball and getting some more wins.

"I thought I already had it. I had about 11 in the postseason, so in my mind, I had it, but according to the list that they put on there, part of 20-some guys that have done it. I'm happy about that. But I didn't know if it was ever going to happen because of all the injuries and stuff. At one point, I wasn't planning on playing anymore.''

Said Monday night's starter, R.A. Dickey, "He did what he's done 299 other times, which is pretty neat. I'm just glad to be a part of it in a small way.

"He and I represent kind of the older contingency on the team and so I can empathize with all the maladies that he's had over his career, so for him to be able to go out there tonight and get 300, it's pretty special. It's a real testimony to his relentlessness and the way he's really gone after what he's believed in. He thought he could keep going and he's got 300 saves. That's pretty neat."

Does it mean more in a Mets uniform? "It's kind of a cool story,'' Isringhausen said. "The first one and the 300th. I know Fred [Wilpon] talked to me about it and was wishing me luck on this road trip, him and Jeff [Wilpon]. Nice to get it over with and now I can just worry about pitching again and get this nonsense out of the way."

In the top of the 10th, the Mets got some help when reliever Josh Spence walked the first two batters. In came Chad Qualls, and after a sacrifice by Tejada, the Padres pulled the infield in.

Next up was Scott Hairston, and he smacked a hard grounder that Alberto Gonzalez backhanded with a diving grab. Thole got caught off second on the play and was thrown out at third, but it was enough to get Pridie in from third with the go-ahead run.

With Isringhausen on the brink of history, Bobby Parnell made him teeter on the edge by blowing a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning. Parnell, who's had his troubles in the setup role, issued a one-out walk to Hudson. He recovered to whiff Hundley, but with pinch hitter Jesus Guzman at the plate, Hudson stole second.

Parnell got the count to 2-and-2 before throwing a 100-mph fastball that Guzman lined into rightfield for a hit. The ball was hit hard, and it looked as if Pridie would have a play at the plate. But Pridie bobbled the ball and Hudson scored easily.

Dickey allowed seven hits and three earned runs in 61/3 innings before leaving with a 4-3 lead. He had retired nine of 10 before Forsythe opened the seventh with a single. One out later, Will Venable drilled a long two-run homer into the rightfield seats that ended Dickey's night.

Lucas Duda (three hits) led off the second inning with his second homer in as many days, and again it was long blast to rightfield. On Sunday, Duda nearly put one in the rightfield pool at Chase Field. This time he launched a 435-foot shot off Aaron Harang that landed high up in the bleachers.

That type of power is making Collins consider moving him from first base to rightfield, which is more likely to be his future role with the Mets. The team expects Ike Davis to return from his left ankle issues for the start of spring training and there will be at least one outfield vacancy in 2011.

"I'm wrestling with the fact that I've got him playing first base," Collins said before the game.

The Mets also knocked out a starting pitcher for the second time in as many days because of injury. Angel Pagan fractured Jason Marquis' ankle with a hard grounder in the third inning Sunday and Thole, who has owned Harang lately, ended his night by smacking a ball off his throwing hand in the sixth.

That probably was the last thing Thole wanted to do. The infield single was his third hit off Harang that night after a two-run homer in the second inning and RBI single in the fourth.