The fact that baseball has no clock to end a team's late rally makes the game even better, and not even rain delays normally stop the action completely. The San Diego Padres (49-53) came back from a 7-1 deficit after six innings with two huge rallies to overtake the New York Mets (52-50) and win 8-7 thanks to two big flies, one of them following the first of two ninth-inning delays.

With the bases loaded and his team trailing 7-1 in the top of the seventh, Derek Norris lined a grand slam into the left-field stands off Mets reliever Hansel Robles. 

Norris' shot (12) was one of five hits he had on the day and brought the Padres to within two runs at 7-5. He drove in four and scored twice.

Norris, however, was not the only Padre to go deep late. Justin Upton shook off trade rumors for at least one day to give his team the lead. After waiting out a ninth-inning rain delay to get his at bat, Upton went the other way through the raindrops for a three-run bomb (18) that put the Padres ahead 8-7.  

Upton will find out Friday whether or not he is still a Padre. If he leaves, then he will have left in style.

The Mets scored in the bottom of the first on Daniel Murphy's sacrifice fly. They put up three runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Curtis Granderson smashed a three-run homer (16) deep into the right-field stands. 

In the sixth, Juan Uribe led off with a solo shot (9). Juan Lagares drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Ruben Tejada singled home Melvin Upton. 

San Diego first got on the board in the top of the sixth on Matt Kemp's RBI single.

Marcos Mateo (W: 1-0, 3.52 ERA) won it in relief with a scoreless eighth inning, which included two strikeouts. Craig Kimbrel (S: 30), himself subject of trade rumors, waited out a second rain delay to close it out. Padres starter Andrew Cashner allowed seven runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two, struck out three, and served up two home runs.

Jeurys Familia (L: 2-1, 2.22) blew the save (5) and took the loss by serving up Upton's home run. He allowed three hits total. Mets starter Jon Niese pitched six solid innings, allowing one run on six hits. He walked one and struck out six. Bobby Parnell allowed three runs in relief, those charged to him on Norris's grand slam.

With the loss, the Mets fall to three games behind the Washington Nationals, who won Thursday afternoon. 

On Friday, the Mets and Nationals begin a crucial three-game series Citi Field. San Diego, meanwhile, heads south the visit the Miami Marlins over the weekend.