NEW YORK — The San Francisco Giants were one of the hottest teams in baseball in June and the Mets one of the worst. But Saturday at Citi Field, the roles reversed and the Mets defeated the Giants, 4-1.
Typically it’s the Mets’ starting pitchers who can’t get past the third time through the order or even the second. This time, it was Anthony DeSclafani who exited after giving up three solo home runs in the third inning to put the Mets up 3-0. This came after the Colts Neck, N.J., native allowed only two in the month of June.
Francisco Alvarez hit the first one of the inning. With two outs, Brandon Nimmo pulled one over the right-field fence for his fourth in the last five games (12 total), and Francisco Lindor followed with one of his own to right-center field (17 total). For Alvarez, it was his 13th of the season, which ties him with Travis d’Arnaud for the most home runs by a Mets rookie (2014).
DeSclafani (4-8) had been hitless to that point for the Giants (36-47). Three earned runs came on three hits and he struck out three hitters over three innings. Sean Manaea replaced him in the fourth and promptly walked Pete Alonso. After Daniel Vogelbach looked at strike three, Tommy Pham smacked a double to left field to put the Mets up 4-0.
Justin Verlander went seven strong, holding San Francisco to only one unearned run on five hits. The run came in the seventh inning when Alonso, for the second day in a row, made an error that would later allow former Mets third baseman J.D. Davis to score. Alonso overthrew Lindor trying to complete a 3-6-3 double play. Patrick Bailey, who one night prior hit the go-ahead homer off David Robertson, reached safely on the fielder’s choice and Davis reached third. The Mets then turned a double play, this one of the 4-6-3 variety. but Davis was able to score on it as well.
However, this time the bullpen held up. Drew Smith and Adam Ottavino picked up the eighth and ninth with relative ease. Ottavino converted his sixth save of the season.
Verlander (3-4) gave the Mets a big performance to bring them to nine games under .500 (37-46). The one run was unearned and he allowed only five hits and one walk while striking out six.
The Mets haven’t won two consecutive games since June 14 and 16 when they took one game against the Yankees in the Subway series and the opening game of the series against the Houston Astros. Before that, you’d have to go back to the end of May when they swept the Philadelphia Phillies. They’ll get a chance to start a streak Sunday on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball.
