FORMER PLAYER GETS BEST OF GIANTS
SAN FRANCISCO — When New York Mets players woke up on Wednesday morning in San Francisco, their billionaire owner, Steve Cohen, had already blasted the team’s offense.
“It’s hard to understand how professional hitters can be this unproductive,” Cohen tweeted. “The best teams have a more disciplined approach. The slugging and OPS numbers don’t lie.”
It took 12 innings, but the Mets’ offense finally proved a point to Cohen against an exhausted Giants pitching staff as former San Francisco fan favorite Kevin Pillar launched a go-ahead three-run home run to send New York to a 6-2 victory.
Giants manager Gabe Kapler used his entire bullpen Wednesday after right-hander Anthony DeSclafani exited the game with right ankle discomfort with one out in the second inning. DeSclafani and five Giants relievers combined to hold the Mets scoreless for eight innings and give the club a chance to secure a 1-0 win, but closer Jake McGee hit Pete Alonso with a pitch to lead off the ninth before a single allowed J.D. Davis to tie the game with a sacrifice fly.
The Giants’ offense has been far more productive and consistent than the Mets’ this season, but on Wednesday, the 3-through-6 batters in the team’s lineup combined to go 0-for-17 with seven strikeouts.
The Giants had a chance to walk the game off in the 10th as the team had runners on the corners with one out, but Evan Longoria popped out to second base against Edwin Díaz before LaMonte Wade Jr. flied out to end the inning. San Francisco again had the winning run in scoring position in the 11th inning, but Mike Yastrzemski struck out to end the threat.
The Giants and Mets traded runs in the 11th inning, but New York finally broke the game open in the 12th against Chatwood, who was signed to a minor league deal by the organization on August 5. Chatwood showed promise with a 97-mile per hour sinker, but left way too many pitches over the heart of the plate as Jeff McNeil and Chance Sisco followed Pillar’s home run with back-to-back doubles.
The only run the Giants scored in their first nine innings Wednesday came courtesy of a LaMonte Wade Jr. RBI double against Mets starter Tylor Megill, who tossed six innings of one-run ball.
DeSclafani got the start for the Giants, but his second outing since returning from a 10day stint on the injured list with right shoulder fatigue didn’t last long. After issuing a five-pitch walk to Mets shortstop Jonathan Villar with one out in the top of the second, DeSclafani was removed from the game with what the Giants later called “right ankle discomfort.”
It’s unclear if DeSclafani injured himself while pitching or while covering first base on a 3-1 putout to open the second inning, but his short outing required the Giants’ bullpen to carry an extremely heavy load heading into Thursday’s off day.
The first five relievers the Giants used behind DeSclafani were excellent and gave Kapler’s club every opportunity to secure a series sweep. José Álvarez, Zack Littell, Jarlín García, Dominic Leone and Tyler Rogers combined to hold the Mets to two hits over 4 2/3 innings, but the Giants’ offense didn’t add on any insurance runs following Wade’s third inning double.
That left McGee with no room for error and a pitcher who was named the National League Reliever of the Month in July saw his recent struggles continue. Over his last five outings, McGee has allowed at least one run three times.