Francisco Lindor belted a pair of two-run home runs and the New York Mets salvaged one win in their three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants with an 8-2 victory on Wednesday afternoon.
The Mets, who were in search of a winning way to cap off their six-game California swing, wasted no time in putting pressure on the Giants’ bullpen. With starter Blake Snell scratched due to a strained left adductor, San Francisco was forced to resort to a bullpen day.
Mets’ batters took full advantage of the Giants’ makeshift pitching staff, beginning in the third inning when Lindor launched his first two-run homer of the game off reliever Sean Hjelle to open the scoring. Tyrone Taylor added a solo shot in the fourth inning, and the Mets doubled their advantage with a three-run fifth inning against reliever Landen Roupp.
Despite leaving the bases loaded in the second inning, Mets starter Sean Manaea, who pitched for the Giants last season, managed to work his way out of trouble on several occasions during his 4 2/3-inning outing. In the third inning, Manaea picked Austin Slater off second base to quell a two-on threat.
With the Giants trailing 6-0 in the fifth inning and runners on first and second with one out, Manaea was allowed to face Michael Conforto, who he struck out, before being replaced by reliever Reed Garrett. Garrett, who pitched 2 1/3 innings while allowing only two hits, earned the win.
Lindor capped the Mets’ scoring with his second homer of the day and fourth of the season, a two-run blast off Mitch White in the ninth inning. The Giants added a run in the bottom of the ninth on an error by Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso.
In total, Lindor finished with four hits and four RBIs, while Taylor had three RBIs to go along with his two hits and two runs. Jeff McNeil contributed a double and a single, and Wilmer Flores had two hits for the Giants, who had their two-game winning streak snapped.
