The San Francisco Giants outlasted the New York Mets 5-4 at Citi Field on Friday in another crushing loss for the Amazins. A crowd of 30,116 cheered for most of the evening but ultimately departed disappointed as the Giants pulled away for good with a three-run eighth inning. For the Mets, Jeff McNeil doubled twice and knocked in two runs and Tommy Pham collected three hits but the Mets ultimately lost their 17th game in 26 tries in June.
The Mets opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Francisco Lindor lined a single to right field off starter Alex Cobb. The first pitch swinging, left-handed swinging McNeil laced a double down the leftfield line scoring Lindor for the 1-0 lead. Cobb subsequently stranded McNeil as he retired the next two batters.
FINAL: #Mets 4, San Francisco 5
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 1, 2023
The Giants Outlasted Mets
The Giants outlasted the Mets by quickly evening the score in the top of the second. Thairo Estrada singled off starter Carlos Carrasco with one out and Blake Sabol reached on a fielder’s choice, beating the throw on a potential inning-ending double play. The Giants took advantage of the “extra” out as Luis Matos and Brandon Crawford punched consecutive singles and pushed across the tying run for a 1-1 game.
Shoddy fielding by the Giants helped the Mets regain the lead in the third inning. After Pham singled, first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. dove and smothered a hard ground off the bat of Brett Baty. However, in attempting to turn a double play, Wade’s throw ended up in centerfield. One out later, Omar Narvaez skied a short sacrifice fly to centerfield scoring Pham as Matos’ throw home skipped to the backstop.
Giants Tie the Score Again
The Giants outlasted the Mets by overcoming their errors in the second inning. They tied the score in the top of the fifth inning on a home run by ex-Mets favorite Wilmer Flores. Brandon Nimmo robbed Wade of a potential home run with a leaping catch in deep right-center leading off the inning. However, Nimmo barely caught his breath before Flores sent him running to deep left center. This time he ran out of room at the wall and Flores’ blast tied the game 2-2.
But the Mets answered the Giants’ run and regained the lead in the fifth inning. After Nimmo singled with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, once again McNeil doubled down the left field line scoring Nimmo from first with the lead run. With that run, the Mets led 3-2 entering the sixth inning as each team reached into their bullpens for the final frames. Taylor Rogers relieved Cobb in the sixth inning but Tommy Pham launched a drive down the left field line just inside the fair pole and the Mets led 4-2 going into the seventh.
Giants Erupt
Buck Showalter summoned closer David Robertson to pitch the eighth inning to protect the 4-2 lead. After striking out Flores for the first out, Joc Pederson lined a hard grounder to Pete Alonso behind the first base bag. However, Alonso compounded bobbling the ball with a wide throw to Robertson covering first and Pederson reached on an E3. Robertson subsequently walked JD Davis to put runners on first and second whereupon catcher Patrick Bailey deposited a Robertson knuckle curve deep into the New York night in center field and the Giants snatched a 5-4 lead from the Mets.
Giants Pen Holds the Lead
The Giants outlasted the Mets in the final innings with scoreless eighth and ninth innings. Tyler Rogers held the Mets scoreless in the eighth inning setting up closer Camilo Doval in the ninth inning. Pinch hitter Luis Guillorme walked with one out and Starling Marte replaced him as a pinch runner at first base. With Nimmo as the potential winning run at the plate, the flame of the Mets’ budding threat was doused quickly as Bailey threw Marte out attempting to steal second. Doval subsequently struck out Nimmo to end the game, giving the Giants the 5-4 victory as boos cascaded from the stands.
Good Riddance June
Sean Manaea picked up the win in relief to raise his record to 3-3 as Robertson’s record dropped to 2-2. With the Giants outlasting the Mets, the loss concludes a dreadful month for the Mets. They entered the month four games out of first place and exit it 18.5 behind the first-place Atlanta Braves. Whereas the Mets were clearly in the wildcard race a month ago, their path to the postseason is now as murky as the smog from the Canadian wildfires that hovered over Citi Field this evening.
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Main photo credits:
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Jeff McNeil, Tommy Pham, Francisco Lindor, Alex Cobb, Thairo Estrada, Carlos Carrasco, Blake Sabol, Luis Matos, Brandon Crawford, LaMonte Wade Jr., Brett Baty, Omar Narvaez, Wilmer Flores, Brandon Nimmo, Taylor Rogers, Tommy Pham, David Robertson, Joc Pederson, Pete Alonso, Patrick Bailey, Tyler Rogers, Camilo Doval, Luis Guillorme, Starling Marte, Sean Manaea
