Mets Rise to the Occasion with 8th-Inning Surge in Easter Sunday 5–2 Win Over Giants

Mets 5 Giants 2 (Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA)

Mets record: 6-4

Mets streak: Won 3

Last 10 games: 6-4

WP - Huascar Brazobán (1-0)

LP -Keaton Winn (0-1)

S-Devin Williams (2)

Seat on the Korner: Luis Torrens

We select a Star of the Game and virtually invite him to take his Seat on the Korner — just as Ralph Kiner did on WOR-TV Channel 9 during the early days of the New York Mets.

Continuing the tradition of Rheingold Beer sponsoring Kiner’s Korner, this season every seat is proudly presented by The Main Event Restaurant & Sports Bar.

With locations in Plainview and Farmingdale, The Main Event features 80+ HD TVs, fresh daily seafood, and Black Angus certified steaks—so you never have to choose between great food and the big game.

The Seat on the Korner Star of the Game goes to Luis Torrens, whose impact was felt on both sides of the ball in a defining moment of this Easter Sunday win. With the Mets trailing 2–1 in the eighth inning, Torrens stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter and delivered in the biggest spot of the game, lacing a clutch double that flipped the score and gave the Mets a 3–2 lead they would not relinquish. His timely hit sparked the rally and shifted momentum firmly in New York’s favor. As if that weren’t enough, Torrens continued to influence the outcome in the ninth inning, throwing out Matt Chapman to help shut the door., Torrens provided the decisive swing and a key defensive play, making him the clear choice for Star of the Game. Ralph digs through the virtual gift box and pulls out a vintage Armitron watch for Luis.

Need to Know

• With a win today, the Mets secured their second series victory of

  the season and their first on the road

• The Mets finish their first trip of the year, a seven-game trip (4-3) against St. Louis (1-2) and San Francisco (3-1).

• The Mets return home on Tuesday for the start of a six-game homestand against Arizona (three games) and the A's (three games).

• SF is now 1-7 versus the Mets in its last seven games here at home dating to April 24, 2024...they have been outscored 49-19 in those eight games.

• The Mets are 18-23 all-time on Easter Sunday.

• Over the last four games, the Mets have scored 24 runs on 40 hits with eight doubles, four home runs, 22 RBI, nine walks, five steals. This compares to a total of 25 runs on 49 hits over their first seven games of the season.(update)

• The Mets went 5-11 with RISP last night...Over the last three games, the team is 17-30 with RIPS, recording one home run and 13 RBI...This compared to going 11-71 (.155) with one home run and 19 RBI over their first seven games

• Kodai Senga came into today's game with a 7.07 ERA (11 ER/14.0 IP) in three starts against the Giants. After giving up 2 runs in 5 2/3 he lowered his era against the Giants to 5.95.

• This afternoon's start was the eighth of Webb's career against the Mets...in his previous seven starts he's 3-2 with a 3.21 ERA (15er, 42.0ip)...in his lone start against New York last year on July 25 here at Oracle, Webb was touched up for six runs on eight hits over 4.0 innings in an 8-1 Giants loss.

• The Giants have been held to thee runs or fewer in six of their eight games (one run or fewer in four of the six and shutout three times).

• Brett Baty was scratched from the lineup and replaced by Jared Young as his thumb was bothering him after a head first slide into second base in yesterdays game. This on top of Juan Soto still sidelined with a strained calf.

  
  

• Mark Vientos started his sixth straight game, 2 as a Dh and 4 at first base.

Turning Point

A case could be made that the turning point of the game came when Logan Webb exited, but the true shift began earlier in the sequence and was driven by a series of pivotal plays. After Bo Bichette grounded out to open the inning, Jorge Polanco laced a double to right, immediately putting pressure on the Giants’ bullpen. Following a pitching change, Tyrone Taylor entered as a pinch-runner at third after a sharp single from Luis Robert Jr., and that’s when Robert made his most impactful play—stealing second base. That stolen base removed the possibility of an inning-ending double play and, just as importantly, put the go-ahead run in scoring position. The move proved decisive, as Luis Torrens followed by delivering a clutch double that drove in both runs, flipping the game in the Mets’ favor and setting off a rally that they would not relinquish.

Three Keys

7th Inning Stretches the Rule Book

In a tight, one-run game, two calls stood out as potential turning points that could have shifted the outcome. In the top of the seventh, after Jared Young led off with a hard-hit double and advanced to third on a fly ball to center, Marcus Semien stepped in with the tying run 90 feet away. On a critical 1–1 count, home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez called strike two, but after Semien tapped his helmet in reaction, the call was effectively changed to a swinging strike without any visible signal or appeal to the first-base umpire—altering Semien’s approach at the plate. Carlos Mendoza in the post game said that the challenge came too late and that it was a called strike in any event he ultimately struck out, leaving the tying run stranded at third.

The Giants did get another opportunity to extend the inning when Francisco Álvarez reached on catcher’s interference, but Francisco Lindor grounded out to end the threat. The following half-inning, with one out in the bottom of the seventh, Jerar Encarnación hit a soft ground ball to Huascar Brazobán, who threw to Mark Vientos at first, resulting in an out that was ruled batter interference. While both calls were made within the flow of play, each carried added weight given the narrow margin, and together they loomed large in a game where every out mattered.

Forever Young

Jared Young was thrust into the lineup when Brett Baty was scratched due to a thumb issue suffered on a head-first slide in yesterday’s game, and he made the most of the opportunity with an all-around impactful performance. Young making only his second career start in Left field got involved right away in his first at-bat in the second inning, lining a single to left that moved Luis Robert Jr. into scoring position, and later added another base hit in the fifth with a sharp line drive to second. He also made his presence felt in the field, showing off his arm in the bottom of the fifth when he cut down Jerar Encarnación trying to stretch a hit into a double, firing a perfect throw to Marcus Semien to complete the out. Then, in the seventh, with the game hanging in the balance, Young delivered again, crushing a double to left to keep the offense alive. It was a complete performance from Young—contributing at the plate, on the bases, and in the field—that helped set the tone and underscored his value in filling in on short notice.

Juan Soto who ?

Giants End String of Easter Goose Eggs

The Giants finally broke through after being held scoreless for 15 and 2/3 innings dating back to Friday night’s ninth inning, when Luis Garcia silenced them, and continuing through dominant stretches from Clay Holmes and Tobias Myers, who combined to blank San Francisco over nine innings, before Kodai Senga carried the shutout into the sixth today. But in the bottom of the sixth, the tide turned quickly. After Patrick Bailey reached on a single and stole second, Willy Adames flew out to Carson Benge, and then Luis Arraez followed with a flyout to Jared Young. Matt Chapman then delivered the key blow with a sharp double into left, scoring Bailey to tie the game.

Moments later Rafael Devers lined a single into center to bring Chapman home and give the Giants the lead. Huascar Brazobán came on in relief, but the damage was done as San Francisco capitalized on its first real scoring opportunity in nearly two full games. Despite a flyout to Benge to end the inning, the Giants’ breakthrough snapped the long scoreless streak and shifted momentum in a hurry.