SAN DIEGO -- Ian Kennedy has among the San Diego Padres' sharpest beards. By some accounts, he was clinging to his rotation spot by his chinny, chin, chin.

Kennedy snapped a four-start losing streak by pitching the Padres past the New York Mets, 7-2, on Tuesday night.

"It makes a world of difference when you are ahead of guys," Kennedy said. "It allows you to do more things."

Kennedy (3-5), limited the Mets to two runs on six hits. He struck out eight and walked two as the Padres took the second contest of the three-game series after losing the opener.

Three different Padres had two RBIs as the Mets' Noah Syndergaard was chased after four innings. He did strike out 10, but allowed seven runs on 10 hits.

"As we know at this level, good stuff is great but you got to put it where you want to," Mets manager Terry Collins said.

Center fielder Will Venable, catcher Derek Norris and shortstop Alexi Amarista each had a pair of RBIs. Norris' came on his fourth-inning, two-run homer.

With starter Brandon Morrow nearing his escape from the disabled list, someone will need to step aside. It was either going to be Odrisamer Despainge or Kennedy.

Kennedy helped his cause, working six innings and allowing two runs on six hits against the Mets. He struck out eight and walked two in notching is first victory since May 6 against the San Francisco Giants.

After getting pounded in his last start, an emotional Kennedy was befuddled by his nearly month-long rut. Unable to command his fastball, Kennedy's arrow was pointed down.

"I backed off a little bit," Kennedy said. "Sometimes you tend to try and think things out and overwork a little bit. Sometimes the old saying, 'Less is more,' and it worked."

Kennedy not only won, but he cemented his rotation spot in going to 5-2 against the Mets.

"He's always been tough on us," Collins said. "Look at his numbers against the Mets over his career, he has been tough. A great changeup again tonight and we just never get him squared up very good."

The Mets pulled to within 7-2 on shortstop Wilmer Flores' one-out single in the sixth. Left fielder Michael Cuddyer was aboard on a double.

Four Padres relievers worked the final three innings.

Second baseman Cory Spangenberg and first baseman Yonder Alonso, fresh off the disabled list, had three hits for the Padres.

"It felt great," Alonso said. "I just wanted to be there for the guys and make sure I do my part and just enjoy it and compete."

The Padres were shut out the final four innings by the Mets' bullpen, which used four pitchers.

Norris' two-run homer in the fourth, his fifth of the year, put the Padres ahead 7-1 as Syndergaard continued to struggle. Norris' blast drove in center fielder Will Venable, after he singled.

Spangenberg's run-scoring triple in the third increased the Padres' cushion to 5-1. Spangenberg chased in Alonso, after he collected his second single.

The Padres seized the lead in the second inning, going ahead 4-1.

Alonso singled and third baseman Will Middlebrooks did likewise. Spangenberg's bunt single loaded the bases.

Amarista's line drive up the middle ricocheted off Syndergaard's glove and rolled into shallow right-center field, allowing two runs to score. After Kennedy's sacrifice bunt, Venable laced a two-run triple just fair down the right-field line.

"If I don't try to catch that ball from Amarista, which is a natural reflex, that could have been an inning-ending double play," Syndergaard said. "We had a couple bad breaks here and there."

The Mets struck in the first inning when Cuddyer singled in third baseman Ruben Tejada; Tejada reached on a one-out single.

But this night belonged to Kennedy.

"I think once he got through the first and second innings, his confidence grew,"