SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants’ deficit against the New York Mets grew from one run to four runs in a span of about a minute Friday night – and not without some consternation from San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler.
Catcher Joey Bart fielded a check swing from Jeff McNeil in the fifth inning right in front of home plate, but his throw to first base went off McNeil’s back and into right field, allowing Luis Guillorme to score from second base.
Kapler came out of the dugout to talk to home plate umpire Bill Miller, presumably about McNeil being inside the line on his way to first base, but the discussion was brief.
The next batter, Pete Alonso, took the first pitch he saw from Anthony DeSclafani over the center field wall, giving the Mets more than enough offense in what became a 7-0 win over the Giants before an announced crowd of 27,551 at Oracle Park.
Mets left-handed starter and Newark native Joey Lucchesi, in his first big league game since June 2021, struck out eight in seven innings as he helped hand the Giants their seventh loss in eight games.
Lucchesi allowed just four hits and induced three ground ball double plays as the Giants were shut out for the third time in 19 games this season.
DeSclafani allowed seven hits and four earned runs in five innings, his shortest outing of the season as his record fell to 1-1.
Including its 9-4 loss to the Mets on Thursday, San Francisco has now not won a series since it took two of three games from the Chicago White Sox from April 3-6.
At 6-13, the Giants’ record is tied for the second-worst in the National League, bettering only the 6-15 Colorado Rockies. The Washington Nationals improved to 6-13 with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday.
The question is now — when is it no longer early in a full Major League Baseball season?
After one month? Six weeks? Memorial Day?
Whenever it is, Kapler knows we’re not there yet, not with only one-eighth – or slightly less — of the 2023 season in the books.
“It’s really important to remember,” Kapler said before Friday’s game, “that there’s been very little of the season has passed at this point. There’s no question we have not gotten off to a good start.”
Kapler said he tries to have the same message to his team in good times and bad.
“You guys have probably talked to me at various points over the last couple of years and my message is pretty similar,” Kapler told reporters Friday afternoon. “Stay calm, even when we win five games in a row. It’s a great thing. But also, stay even through that and when you’re off to a tough start in through April 20, it’s the same thing. Not too high, not too low. Be consistent and get back to work.”
