NEW YORK -- The advice San Diego Padres manager Andy Green offered to Brad Hand in the sixth inning Friday night did not come from the profane handbook of Roger Dorn. But Green's simple and G-rated message clearly resonated with Hand and the pair of relievers who followed him.

Hand wriggled out of a two-on, no-out jam in the sixth inning and combined with Ryan Buchter and Brandon Maurer to no-hit the New York Mets over the final four innings of an 8-6 win at Citi Field.

The Padres led 8-2 after three innings thanks to four homers -- including a grand slam and a two-run shot by Ryan Schimpf -- but winning pitcher Paul Clemens (2-2), who has been battling back spasms, had to exit after allowing three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings.

Buddy Baumann replaced Clemens but failed to retire any of the four batters he faced before Green called on Hand with runners at the corners and the tying run at the plate.

"I went out there and told him 'The runner on third doesn't matter at all, let him score and shut the rest of it down,'" Green said. "And he did that perfectly."

Hand struck out Curtis Granderson before Schimpf ranged over behind the bag to corral a grounder by pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores. The Padres could not complete the double play as Matt Reynolds scored to pull the Mets within 8-6.

Hand then induced Neil Walker, the Mets' hottest hitter, to ground out to short before he threw a 1-2-3 seventh. The outing was the longest since June 29 for Hand, who pitched before the seventh inning for only the second time since June 23.

"I thought that it was high enough leverage to get him into that situation," Green said. "I thought it all hinged right there on those at-bats with those runners on base and he did a great job."

Buchter and Maurer (fifth save) each threw a perfect inning apiece to ensure the Padres (50-65) would not waste their early offensive outburst. San Diego scored five times in the first -- Jabari Blash hit a solo homer immediately after Schimpf's first career grand slam -- and three more times in the third on Schimpif's blast and Christian Bethancourt's solo homer.

"Guys did a good job working good at-bats and getting on," Schimpf said. "I was just up there trying to get a good pitch to drive and I got two. Good to do something and get the win."

Bethancourt's shot chased New York right-hander Logan Verrett, after which a trio of relievers retired the final 19 Padres batters. But the damage was too great to overcome for the Mets (57-58), who lost their fourth in a row and for the sixth time in seven games to fall under .500 for the first time since April 17.

"To come back and make it a game -- we were two swings away from getting a couple of runs -- I was impressed with the way they went about it," said Mets manager Terry Collins, who held a lengthy team meeting following a 9-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.

The Mets, who remained three games behind the Miami Marlins in the race for the National League's second wild card, fell to 24-1 this season when scoring at least six runs.

"You look for positives when things aren't going great," Walker said. "Obviously, after the first couple of innings, we did a pretty good job."

Travis d'Arnaud was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in the first for the Mets while Jay Bruce had an RBI single in the fifth. Matt Reynolds and Ty Kelly each had RBI singles against Baumann in the sixth.

Walker went 0-for-2 with three walks as his hitting streak ended at a season-high nine games.

Verrett (3-8) lost his job in the rotation after giving up all eight runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four over 2 2/3 innings. Collins said he was leaning toward replacing Verrett -- who is 0-3 with a 7.18 ERA in his last seven starts -- with left-hander Jonathon Niese.

NOTES: The Mets recalled RHP Seth Lugo from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned OF Michael Conforto to the same affiliate. Lugo threw 2 1/3 perfect innings Friday night. ... Mets RHP Zack Wheeler, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March 2015, will visit Dr. James Andrews after experiencing elbow discomfort following his first rehab start last weekend. ... Padres manager Andy Green said OF Jon Jay (broken right forearm) will remain with the team until Sunday, when he'll head back to San Diego to undergo tests that will determine if he can begin swinging a bat. Jay has been out since June 20. ... Padres RHP Tyson Ross (shoulder, ankle) threw 39 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday and will throw in the bullpen again this weekend.