Mets’ Bats Stay Hot in 8-1 Win Over Giants

The Mets (60-44) brought their hot bats with them to San Francisco, scoring eight runs in the series opener against the Giants (54-50) in a comfortable 8-1 victory Friday night. The win extends the Mets’ streak to five games and keeps them half a game ahead of the Phillies in the NL East.

The Mets scored early and often off of Giants ace Logan Webb, who looked nothing like himself from the start. Just four pitches in, the Mets were on the board via a Brandon Nimmo double and a Francisco Lindor single. Pete Alonso added to the lead not much later with a sacrifice fly to give the Mets an instant two-run boost.

The Giants cut into the lead in the bottom of the first, but Clay Holmes held them there for the five innings of work he produced. Despite allowing just the one run over the course of his outing, Holmes labored with 104 pitches and constant traffic on the basepaths. He extended his streak of not completing six innings to eight straight starts but kept the Mets in prime position by limiting the scoring.

From there, the Mets added on with Lindor’s 20th home run of the year, a solo shot pulled down the right field line, and a three-run sixth inning which featured a Tyrone Taylor RBI and two-run Brandon Nimmo single. Two more runs were added in the ninth on a wild pitch and a Juan Soto single, giving the Mets an 8-1 lead.

Huascar Brazobán was the first reliever tasked with keeping the lead intact following Holmes’ exit, and he pitched a scoreless sixth inning before Rico Garcia completed two masterful innings without allowing a baserunner. It took him just six pitches to get through the seventh inning before retiring three in the eighth inning on 15 pitches. He has continued to look fantastic since returning to the Mets after a brief stay with the Yankees.

José Castillo, recently recalled from Triple-A, entered in the ninth with the big lead and swiftly completed a scoreless inning with three strikeouts, not allowing the Giants to make things uncomfortable. The Mets’ first game of the west coast road trip ends in an 8-1 win, giving the team a 60-44 record after their fifth straight win.

Player of the Game

Francisco Lindor’s slump is officially behind him, as the shortstop went 3-for-5 with a home run, a single, and a double with an RBI and three runs scored. Lindor has looked good at the plate these last few games, and it’ll be huge for the Mets if he can turn it on after struggling for so long.

On Deck

The Mets will continue their series in San Francisco Saturday night, with first pitch scheduled for 9:05 p.m. ET. It will be a showdown between a pair of lefty All-Star pitchers, with David Peterson (6-4, 2.90 ERA) taking the mound against Robbie Ray (9-4, 2.92 ERA). The game will be broadcast on SNY.

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