NEW YORK -- With a pair of National League West also-rans visiting Citi Field, this was supposed to be a week in which the New York Mets made up ground in the National League wild card race. But now the San Diego Padres can finish what the Arizona Diamondbacks started and force the Mets into wait-til-next-year mode once again.The reeling Mets attempt to remain on the periphery of the playoff race beginning Friday when the Padres visit Citi Field for the opener of a three-game series.The Diamondbacks, who are in last place in the NL West, completed a three-game sweep of the Mets on Thursday with a 9-0 rout. The Padres, who are in fourth place in the NL West, fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 in the rubber game of a three-game series in Pittsburgh.The Mets were outscored 17-5 and gave up 13 stolen bases -- the most in franchise history during a three-game series -- in being swept by Arizona. New York fell to 57-57 and three games behind the idle Miami Marlins in the race for the NLs second wild card.The Mets, who are .500 for the first time since April 20, are 10-19 in their last 29 games, a stretch in which they have not won back-to-back games.Sometimes in this game, you just get beat, Mets utilityman Kelly Johnson said. Sometimes youre just not lucky. You need a little bit of both -- getting the job done, a little bit of luck, a little bit of everything sometimes. And right now were just kind of sliding and not getting much of (anything).Johnson and his teammates got an earful Thursday afternoon from manager Terry Collins, who followed up a fiery press conference in which he appeared to question his players effort by closing the locker room for a meeting that lasted nearly 20 minutes.I know one thing: Theres got to be a passion to come and play, theres got to be a sense of this is what I do for a living -- the people that pay to see me play are going to see my best effort, Collins said. Youre going to get beat, and youre going to get beat bad sometimes. But you need to pick yourself up and move on. Thats what baseball players do.The speedy Padres, who rank third in the major leagues with 99 stolen bases, present a challenge for the Mets, whose catchers have thrown out only 30 of 132 opposing baserunners.The Padres (49-65) have stolen four bases in a game three times in their last 10 contests. On Wednesday, outfielder Travis Jankowski stole home for the second time this month.We run the bases with a ton of aggression, Padres manager Andy Green said We steal a lot of bases -- not always home -- but we take whats there for us.Mets right-hander Logan Verrett (3-7, 4.66 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Padres right-hander Paul Clemens (1-2, 4.61) on Friday. Verrett gave up two runs (one earned) in two innings of relief in his lone career appearance against San Diego on May 5. Clemens faces New York for the first time. Kenny Rogers Jersey . - The Oakland Raiders re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Friday. Buddy Bell Jersey . The Celtics closed out their first preseason under Stevens on Wednesday night with a 101-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who rested a lot of their lineup including former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. https://www.cheaprangersbaseball.com/292h-michael-young-jersey-rangers.html . 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NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders have started winning with regularity and Anders Lees sudden scoring touch is a major reason why.Lees second goal of the game with just over seven minutes remaining lifted the Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.Lees go-ahead score on a slap shot came after Casey Cizikas won a faceoff in the Blues zone and sent the puck back to Lee, who rifled it past Allen with 7:18 left for his eighth of the season.It was a great job by Casey. That one found its way, said Lee, who now has seven goals in his last eight games. What makes this little run special is theyve all been team wins.John Tavares also scored and Thomas Greiss stopped 24 shots to help the Islanders improve their season-best stretch to 5-0-1 in their last six games.Were playing with resiliency and emotion, Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. We have that `no quit attitude.Robby Fabbri and Kyle Brodziak had goals for the Blues, who fell to 3-7-1 away from home while going 12-1-3 at Scottrade Center. Jake Allen, who came in with eight straight wins, finished with 24 saves.Fabbri opened the scoring for the Blues at 4:36 of the first, knocking the puck past Greiss for his sixth of the season.Lee answered for the Islanders at 6:51, just 12 seconds after Blues forward Jori Lehtera was penalized for high-sticking. Lee tipped Nick Leddys shot from the point past Allen.Tavares then scored his eighth goal with a shot from the high slot at 8:31 to put the Islanders ahead 2-1.We were pushing the whole game, it was intense until the end, Fabbri said. They are getting pucks in and playing hard.Tavares, who also has 13 assists this season and leads the Islanders with 21 points, has 492 career points. The 26-year-old center needs eight points to become the 10th player in franchise history to reach the 500-point mark.Brodziak scored the only goal of the second at 3:33 to knot the score at 2. Fabbri and defenseman Joel Edmundson had assists on Brodziaks third goal this season.dddddddddddd.The Islanders came into the game off an emotional 4-2 win over the Rangers on Tuesday night at Barclays Center. They also defeated Pittsburgh and Washington last week.Were playing hard and figuring it out. It takes time, Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck said of this teams recent surge. The effort is there. Were eliminated confusion and mental errors. Its a sign of team maturity. St. Louis also lost both meetings with the Islanders last season. The Islanders hadnt won three straight from the Blues since a five-game winning streak from Feb. 23, 1984, to Oct. 26, 1985.They are a good team and theyre on a roll, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. We need more from our top-end guys. We had a chance to win, we were it perfect position and didnt take advantage of it.The Islanders are in a stretch where they will play 10 out of 14 games at home. By the time they host the Capitals on Dec. 27, they will have played 22 of their first 34 games at home.They know theyll have to made good use of playing at their home rink in Brooklyn, where they are 9-4-4 this season. Last year, they won 25 times at home and finished with 100 points.We have to compete, making sure were winning battles, Capuano added. Its our work ethic and determination. Thats how we have to play.St. Louis opened a four-game, six-day road trip after a 4-0-1 homestand, capped by a 3-2 overtime win over Montreal on Tuesday night after the Blues rallied from two goals down.Game notes Forwards Nail Yakupov and Ty Rattie were healthy scratches for the Blues. ... Islanders D Johnny Boychuk was back after missing the win against the Rangers on Tuesday because of the flu. ... The Islanders scratched F Ryan Strome (flu) and D Scott Mayfield.UP NEXTBlues: At New Jersey on Friday night.Islanders: At Columbus on Saturday night. ' ' '