Giants Rebound To Take 3rd Game Of Set From Mets

Brandon Belt running back to the Giants dugout after he crossed the plate on his home run. Photo by Jason Schott.

The San Francisco Giants jumped out to an early lead, and it held up as they beat the Mets, 5-2, on Wednesday night at Citi Field. The Mets, who entered the day with the best record in the National League, fell to 9-4, while the Giants improved to 8-4.

After the Mets swept the doubleheader on Tuesday to open the series, the Giants didn't waste anytime getting to Mets starter Chris Bassitt.

Mike Yastrzemski led off with a single, and then with one out, Darren Ruf drew a walk after being down 0-2 in the count.

Bassitt losing Belt would open the floodgates, as Joc Pederson laced a double down the right field line to bring home Yastrzemski, Brandon Crawford lined one just past the glove of Mets first baseman Pete Alonso to bring home Ruf, and the Mets' old friend Wilmer Flores lined one to bring in Pederson and make it 3-0.

Thairo Estrada tried bunting for a base hit, but he hit it right to Alonso, who fired home to nab Crawford, and Steven Duggar hit into a force out to end the threat.

In the seocnd, after Bassitt got the first two outs, Brandon Belt crushed one into the second deck in right field to make it 4-0 San Francisco.

After Bassitt got around a single to Pederson in the third, the Giants were right back at it in the fourth.

Duggar led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch, and came around on a single by Yastrzemski to make it 5-0.

That was all Giants starter Carlos Rodon needed, as the lefty stifled the Mets for five shutout innings, as he struck out eight and allowed just three hits and two walks. The former White Sox is now 2-0 for his new team. 

Carlos Rodon leaving the mound after he struck out J.D. Davis to end the second inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

The Mets did break through in the seventh against Giants reliever Dominic Leone, as Starling Marte got an RBI single to bring home Luis Guillorme, who was walked by John Brebbia earlier in the frame. Marte then was erased on a caught stealing to end the inning.

In the eighth, with Tyler Rogers on for the Giants, the Mets put a rally together with one out, as Alonso and Eduardo Escobar singled, and Alonso came home to score on a single by Mark Canha to make it 5-2 Giants, but that was it, as Robinson Cano (who pinch-hit for J.D. Davis) grounded out and Dom Smith lined out to halt the Mets threat.

The Giants turned to left-hander Jake McGee in the ninth, and he worked around a lead-off walk to James McCann to close it out.

The series finale of this battle between two of the National League's best is Thursday afternoon at 1:10 p.m., with Carlos Carrasco on the mound for New York, and Anthony DeSclafani starting for San Francisco.