The New York Mets are looking to take a 2-1 series lead over the San Francisco Giants after losing the opener 7-2 on Thursday and winning the second game 10-3 on Friday.
The New York Mets are looking to take a 2-1 series lead over the San Francisco Giants after defeating them 10-3 in the second of a four-game set.
It was all Giants after the second inning in the first meeting and San Francisco took the opener 7-2 on the shoulders of left-hander Robbie Ray, who threw 5.1 innings of three-hit, two-run ball with seven strikeouts to earn the win over Mets lefty David Peterson. Peterson lasted 4.1 innings and was knocked around; he allowed five runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and took the loss.
The Mets tallied just five hits in the losing effort, but it was good to see third baseman Bo Bichette and second baseman Marcus Semien hit successfully, with Bichette opening the scoring on an RBI-double that scored Juan Soto in the first inning.
New York flipped the script in the second game, and the newbies put on a clinic. Bichette went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored while Semien also went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Center fielder Luis Robert Jr. went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two walks, reemerging as a powerful threat in the middle of the lineup once again.
Catcher Francisco Alvarez also contributed in a big way, going 2-for-5 with two solo homers from the nine-hole. The Mets chased Giants right-hander Tyler Mahle after five innings; Mahle allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out four.
Right-handed rookie phenom Nolan McLean dazzled and threw five perfect innings before walking two batters to begin the sixth. His night ended after giving up a run-scoring ground-rule double, but he picked up where he left off from his first start.
The only thing that went wrong was Soto exiting the game with calf tightness and is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Saturday.
The pitching matchup for Saturday’s game is Mets righty Clay Holmes versus Giants right-hander Landen Roupp. Holmes is 1-0 after going 5.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Roupp was even sharper in his first outing, earning a win of his own after throwing six scoreless two-hit innings with seven strikeouts against the San Diego Padres.
The Mets have been a middling offensive team but have pitched well, posting the fifth-best ERA in Major League Baseball thus far (2.89). Holmes will look to win his second straight start against a Giants offense that is second-worst in terms of OPS (.599).
First pitch is at 9:05 p.m. EST on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.