Mets-Giants Doubleheader Game 1: Mets Storm Back To Win It In 10

The Mets mob Francisco Lindor after his hit won the opening game of the doubleheader. Photo by Jason Schott.

After a rainout Monday, the Mets and Giants opened their series on Tuesday with an old-fashioned one-admission doubleheader that was a thriller. The Mets came from three runs down to take the opening game, 5-4, in 10 innings.

It was another cold day at Citi Field. Photo by Jason Schott.

GAME 1: METS 5, GIANTS 4 (10 INNINGS):

The Mets didn't waste any time getting a lead in this one in the bottom of the first, as Starling Marte singled, stole second, reached third on a throwing error on the attempt, and then came home on a wild pitch by Giants starter Alex Cobb.

The Giants didn't take long to respond against Mets starter Tylor Megill. In the second, Joc Pederson launched a home run to center field to tie it, and Jason Vosler got an RBI single to make it 2-1.

In the third, Mike Yastrzemski singled, Brandon Belt walked to open the inning, and then with two out, Brandon Crawford singled them both home to make open up a 4-1 lead for the Giants.

Cobb was cruising with that lead until the 5th, when J.D. Davis singled (he was then erased on a force out by Travis Jankowski) and James McCann doubled. The lineup turned over to bring up Jeff McNeil, and he laced a two-run double to pull the Mets within 4-3. Cobb suffered a hamstring injury coming off the mound and exited the game.

Dominic Leone came in for San Francisco and retired Starling Marte for the second out of the inning on a ground out before allowing a double to Francisco Lindor to tie the game at 4.

Despite the tough start, Megill hung around and gave the Mets six innings, ending his day by retiring San Francisco in order in the sixth. He allowed four runs (all earned) on seven hits, with two walks and four strikeouts, in what of those old-fashioned outings that a starter is allowed to work through their issues and have a quality start.

Joely Rodriguez came in for the Mets in the seventh and retired San Francisco in order, and Seth Lugo worked around a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth to keep it tied.

The Mets had a golden opportunity to win it in the ninth when San Frnacisco turned to tall right-hander Camilo Doval. He started the inning by walking Eduardo Escobar and Robinson Cano, and then Luis Guillorme (who was pinch-hitting for J.D. Davis) laid down a perfect bunt to move them over to second and third with one out.

Doval settled down and struck out Travis Jankowski looking for the second out, and did the same thing to Dom Smith, who was pinch-hitting for catcher James McCann, to end the frame.

Adam Ottavino came on to pitch for the Mets in the 10th, and he ran into some trouble when he walked Darren Ruf to give San Francisco two runners on base with one out. He then got Crawford to line one to Cano at second, and then he got Thairo Estrada to ground one to shortstop.

Lindor took a while to get to the slow-moving grounder, and he fired one to first that appeared to pull Pete Alonso off the bag at first, allowing him to reach and Belt (who was the ghost runner) to come around to score.

The Mets challenged the call, basically because they had nothing to lose, and there was a freeze-frame of Alonso having the ball in his glove and foot still on the bag, which got the crowd and players pretty excited. Just as the Mets were about to leave the field, guessing that the call would be overturned and the inning completed, they were proven correct as the umpires announced just that.

In the bottom of the 10th, Brandon Nimmo, who has been out with Covid and came on to play center field in the top half of the frame, served as the ghost runner at second. McNeil grounded out to move him to third, and then Starling Marte walked to give them two on and one out for Lindor, who laced a single to the right-center field gap to bring Nimmo in and give the Mets the 5-4 win.

The Mets improved to 8-3 on the season, while San Francisco fell to 7-3.