Gut Reaction: Mets 13, Giants 3 (5/23/22)

A later starting west coast game in always dreary San Francisco marked David Peterson’s return to the rotation. The Giants and Mets traded zeros in the first inning, and the second inning was the same for the Mets, but not the Giants. Brandon Crawford hit a home run to dead center and Peterson looked like he was stunned that it went out. Meanwhile, Alex Cobb was throwing off speed pitches galore, mixing in a fastball every fourth or fifth pitch to keep them guessing and Mets were reaching across the plate hitter after hitter.

But, in the third inning, Davis drilled a single to center field and two two-out infield dribblers filled the bases. That’s when Francisco Lindor got some good luck to even out his tough luck so far. Lindor reached across and popped up to short left field by the line, but Darren Ruf overran it and it landed fair allowing two runs to score tying the game. On the next pitch, Pete Alonso crushed a hanging curve over the left center field fence and the Mets had a 5-2 lead. The big play that inning was Nimmo hustling on his chopper to shortstop and beating the throw to keep the inning going.

The Giants tried to respond in their half of the third inning by putting the first two men on, but Peterson got a 1-2-3 double play and struck out the next batter to put out that fire.

Cobb and Peterson easily cruised through the fourth inning, but Nimmo reached on on another infield dribbler to start the fifth. However, he was stranded in part to Marte being struck out on a pitch a foot outside.

Peterson’s kept cruising in the fifth and the Mets kept peppering Cobb in the sixth. McNeil led off with a smoked single. He moved up on Chana’s swinging bunt and stole third. Escobar struck out but with two outs, JD Davis smoked his third line drive of the night for a double down the left field line to cash in McNeil, making it 6-2.

In the sixth, Peterson retired the Giants in order for the third straight inning, finishing with 100 pitches and getting the last 11 batters he faced.

Going into the seventh, Jarlin Garcia mercifully replaced Alex Cobb who was snake bit by five infield bleeder hits and a left fielder that couldn’t catch a fly ball.

Colin Holderman replaced Peterson and got his first hitter out but cut his right thumb’s cuticle in the process. With Holderman wiping his thumb on the back of his pant leg after every pitch, he lost control of his location and the Giants hit two rockets that resulted in a hit and a hard out to right field. But, Holderman persevered and got a strikeout to finish off the inning.

That got us into the eighth inning with a new pitcher – Mauricio Llovera – and Alonso started it with… an infield single. Next up was Jeff McNeil and he hit a 3-1 pitch a mile and a half to right field for a two-run home run: 8-2. While the dugout was celebrating the home run, Mark Cahna took the next pitch out of the park to left field, making it 9-2. Next up, Escobar flied deep to left field for the first out. Then, Davis rocketed a bullet to the deepest part of the park (left center) settling for a double off the wall. That was enough for Gabe Kapler who took out Llovera much the chagrin of the remaining Mets hitters. The Mets had one more break afforded them that inning and that was Patrick Mazeika pulling a one handed “excuse me” hit down the right field line bringing in Davis.

Holderman came back for the eighth inning of this now 10-2 game, and got them out in order. So, the Giants sent out an infielder Luis Gonzalez to throw his 41-42 mph palm balls. Lindor and Alonso sat back and waited on them but grounded out to start the inning. However, Jeff McNeil wasn’t willing to strain his back hitting and took a walk. Cahna double clutched on his swing and dropped a single to right field. With two outs, Eduardo Escobar found a pitcher he can handle and hit a double up the gap in right center scoring two. Davis then again hit a rope for his fourth hit bringing in Escobar, ending the scoring for the night.

All that was left was Chasen Shreve to get three outs against lefties swinging at everything (the lefties all came in to pinch hit against Holderman as the Giants are a big platoon team) to get it over with. After giving up hits to start the inning, he tried to get out of it but gave up a run. A lefty specialist, facing all lefties, on a team that is trying to get it over with, gave up a run… finally he got the only righty he faced to end the game.