Giants hammer Szapucki in rout of Mets
Evan Longoria homered twice and Joc Pederson hit his fourth in two games as the San Francisco Giants went deep four times in the first two innings off rookie Thomas Szapucki and routed the New York Mets 9-3 Wednesday.
Mike Yastrzemski also homered off Szapucki, a 25-year-old left-hander making his first major league start and second appearance after the Mets summoned him from the minors due to a string of injuries.
New York lost two of three in San Francisco, the Mets’ second series loss in their first 14 series this season. New York had won its previous 14 games following a loss, the third-longest such streak in major league history behind the 1934 New York Giants (16) and 1911 Philadelphia Athletics (15).
The Mets also lost consecutive games for the first time since April 10 and 11. New York overcame an 8-2 deficit Tuesday to take leads of 11-8 and 12-11 before losing 13-12. That was the Mets’ first loss in the 181 games in their history in which they scored 12 runs or more.
Szapucki, who had been at Triple-A Syracuse, got the start because of injuries to Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tylor Megill. Szapucki allowed nine runs, seven hits and three walks in 1 1/3 innings, leaving him with a 60.75 ERA this season and a 27.00 ERA in his career. His only previous big league appearance was last June 30, when he gave up six runs and seven hits over 3 2/3 innings during a relief appearance in a 20-2 loss at Atlanta.
Following Chris Bassitt’s poor outing Tuesday, Mets pitchers allowed eight runs in consecutive games for the fourth time after Jonathan Niese and Bartolo Colon in 2015, Dillon Gee and Niese in 2011 and Rick Reed, Al Leiter and Bobby J. Jones in 1999.
Mets left fielder Jeff McNeil, slid face first into the low fence in left field foul territory after catching Donovan Walton’s thirdinning fly. McNeil bruised his left knee when hitting the wall, left
for a pinch hitter in the fourth and said he anticipates playing Friday.
Longoria, limited this season by a right hand injury, had four RBIs with his first two home runs of the season. He put the Giants ahead with a three-run homer in the first and followed Yastrzemski in the second with the Giants’ second back-toback homers this year, boosting the lead to 9-0.
Former Met Wilmer Flores had an RBI double in the second, driving in the Giants’ only run that didn’t score on a homer.
Pederson, who hit three homers and had eight RBIs on Tuesday, made it 5-0 in the second with his 11th home run this season. Pederson was given a rare start against a left-hander.
“That was just strictly self-preservation on my part,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said before the game. “I’m all good with trying to get the platoon advantage wherever possible but I also want to survive the day.”
Jakob Junis (2-1) gave up two runs and three hits in six innings, throwing just 16 fastballs among 86 pitches.
Francisco Lindor doubled and homered off Junis. He is 20 for 39 (.513) against him with six home runs.
San Francisco’s Darin Ruf struck out four times — all in the first six innings LOOKING AHEAD
The Mets’ Aug. 7 home game against Atlanta was moved from 1:40 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. after a game against the Braves postponed by the lockout was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader on Aug. 6.