MATZ MORE LIKE IT!
Steven strikes out career-best 11 as Mets beat Giants in extras
SAN FRANCISCO — Steven Matz has developed a sense for when his pitching mechanics are in order. "When I'm going good, I can get in a good rhythm and just kind of keep going," he said.
The 27-year-old left-hander was feeling it on Saturday.
Matz struck out a careerhigh 11 batters and the Mets went on to beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 in 11 innings.
"That was something that (catcher Tomas) Nido and I were really on top of," Matz said. "We just had a good rhythm going. He was putting down (signs) that I was wanting. It just worked out good."
Wilmer Flores doubled to left off Giants reliever Hunter Strickland (3-4) to lead off the 11th. He went to third when Jay Bruce grounded out to second against the shift, and scored on Todd Frazier's fly ball to left.
Jerry Blevins (2-2) pitched a scoreless 10th and Mets closer Robert Gsellman worked the 11th for his ninth save.
Brandon Nimmo made a diving catch in right field, robbing Austin Slater of a hit to end the game.
The Mets have won six of their last seven games at AT&T Park.
Slater was 2 for 5 and Evan Longoria homered for the Giants.
Longoria led off the bottom of the fourth with his 15th home run, on a 2-1 sinker Matz left over the heart of the plate. Nido was 2 for 4 with an RBI double off Giants starter Derek Holland in the fifth.
Holland gave up one run in six innings of three-hit ball in which he walked three.
Matz gave up one run in seven innings of three-hit ball.
"It was definitely the best I've seen (Matz) all year," Mets manager Mickey Callaway said.
After Longoria's home run, the Mets held the Giants to one hit over the next eight innings.
They didn't advance a runner into scoring position over that stretch until 35-year-old outfielder Hunter Pence reached on a one-out walk off Blevins in the 10th and stole second with Joe Panik up with two outs.
Blevins got Panik to fly out to left.
"We couldn't mount anything offensively," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
"We needed somebody to come through. It's tough to get this kind of pitching and we couldn't find a way to scratch out another run for them."
Mets starting pitchers over their last 13 games have combined for a 1.67 ERA (17 earned runs, 91 2/3 innings).
"I try to build off those guys," Matz said. "You see Zack (Wheeler) and (Jacob deGrom) and what they've done recently, we kind of all build off each other I think so I think it does help when you see those guys go out there and dominate like they do. "
The beleaguered Mets bullpen combined for four shutout innings of no-hit ball. Going into Saturday, Mets relievers were tagged for 26 earned runs in their last 11 innings, for a 21.27 ERA over that stretch.