There's just something about New York, Padres manager Bud Black said on Thursday night, that's just different than playing in any other Major League city.

"When you come to New York, it's a different kind of feel," Black said. "The level of intensity as the game grows, especially if the game is tight, the crowd gets louder. I think New York brings out the best in players."

It certainly brought out the best in San Diego's offense in this series, one that ended with yet another harrowing finish, as the Padres hung on -- and that's putting it lightly -- for a 9-8 victory over the Mets in 10 innings at Shea Stadium.

The Padres (68-58) survived a wild ride with a crowd of 50,078 jeering all of the 15 hits that they accumulated against five Mets pitchers to finish the set with 22 runs on 40 hits in a series where the games were decided by four runs.

Yes, all of this from a team that has struggled finding offensive consistency this season, especially at spacious PETCO Park, where a victory like Thursday's might not have been entirely possible.

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