Pillar hits go-ahead homer, Mets beat 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 goahead 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 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.