Mets 8, Giants 2 (Oracle Park, San Francisco, CA)
Mets Record: 13-11
Mets Current Streak: Won 1
Mets Last 10 Games: 7-3
WP: Reed Garrett (4-0)
LP: Sean Hjelle (0-1)
Seat on the Korner: Francisco Lindor
We select the star of the game and virtually invite him to a Seat on the Korner, just as Ralph Kiner used to do for his studio postgame show on WOR-channel 9 broadcasts in the early decades of the Mets.
Today's seat on the Korner goes to Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who led the Mets with a four-hit, two-homer, four-RBI day that complemented some stellar plays in the field. The hit barrage raised Lindor's batting above the Mendoza line (to .206), but most importantly, both of his homers came from the left-hand side, where he had experienced most of his problems this season. Hopefully, he his figured things out and his hot hitting will continue,
Need To Know
The Giants were forced into a bullpen game after placing scheduled starting pitcher Blake Snell on the IL with a strained adductor. The injury may help explain the reigning Cy Young winners's rough year so far -- 0-3 and an 11.57 ERA -- after getting a late start on the season while waiting to sign out of free agency.
Despite righthander Ryan Walker starting in place of southpaw Snell. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stuck with his righthanded lineup, which kept DJ Stewart and Omar Narvaez on the bench.
Tyrone Taylor, making a case for playing time after J.D. Martinez joins the team went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs.
Martinez is expected to finish his delayed Spring Training with some at-bats in Syracuse today and join the team when it returns home to face the Cardinals Friday.
The Mets finished the West Coast trip 3-3. They return Friday for a seven-game homestand against the Cardinals and Cubs
In a non-save situation, Edwin Diaz pitched the ninth inning, his first appearance in five days, and the rust showed. In a 20-pitch outing, Diaz gave up two hits, one run and had no strikeouts. His outing was saved when Wilmer Flores, a noted turtle back from his Mets days, tried to stretch a single into a double and was thrown out on a perfect relay from Brandon Nimmo to Francisco Lindor to Jeff McNeil.
Turning Point
In the top of the fifth, with the Mets leading 3-0 but with starting pitcher Sean Manaea consistently escaping trouble amid a high pitch count, Pete Alonso started a two-out rally with a single to right. Brett Baty walked and Tyrone Taylor, who had honered an inning earlier, doubled to right, scoring Alonso and Baty. That made the score 5-0, and it was all downhill from there.
Three Keys
Bullpen Feast
With reigning Cy Young winner Blake Snell headed to the IL, the Giants were forced to play a bullpen game, and the Mets responded by pounding 10 hits (in addition to four walks) off a procession of eight Giants pitchers. The Mets did most of their damage against 6-foot-11 Sean Hjelle and Landen Roupp, called up from Sacramento to replace Snell on the roster. They also roughed up Mitch White in the ninth to make it an 8-1 game.
Manea Sttruggles
Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea worked in and out of trouble and struggled with his command (although it should be noted that home plate umpire Mark Ripperger's strike zone was a moving target). Of the first 13 batters he faced, Manaea went to three balls on eight of them, Manaea left one out short of working the requisite five innings to earn a win, having thrown 101 pitches, only 58 of them for strikes. Here's Manaea's self-assessment:
The Bullpen Comes Through Again
Reed Garrett proved he is human -- he gave up a run, his first earned run, in his two innings of work, but he also struck out four. He has now struck out 25 of the 50 batters he has faced. Adam Ottavino got four outs, three of them by strikeout. It was Ottavino's seventh straight scoreless appearance.