Mets Win Fourth-Straight Series, Take 3 of 4 from Giants

The Mets are the first team to have double-digit wins this season. But players and fans still hear the team only beats bad teams. That notion was put to the test and resulted in a 3-1 series win over the San Francisco Giants this week. It is the fourth-straight series the Mets won in the early season.

After rain postponed game one, fans got a treat with a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday, with Tylor Megill and Max Scherzer (Citi Field debut) on the mound, respectively.

Pete Alonso was the savior of game one after bailing out Francisco Lindor who made an errant throw to first base in the tenth inning. The throw pulled Alonso off the bag, which allowed Brandon Belt to score from third with two outs. But replays showed Alonso’s right foot on first, resulting in an overruled safe call and the end of the half inning.

Manager Buck Showalter inserted Tomás Nido and Brandon Nimmo into the game in the tenth, which proved crucial in the bottom of the inning because Nimmo was the ghost runner on second base. Known for his speed, Nimmo advanced to third on a ground out by Jeff McNeil. Starling Marte walked and Lindor singled to center to bring home Nimmo and win the game 5-4.

The Mets completed the comeback after San Francisco took a 4-1 lead against Megill. Lindor erased the deficit with a game-tying RBI double in the fifth off reliever Dominic Leone.

Scherzer made his Citi Field debut in game two and did not disappoint, carrying a no-hit bid into the sixth inning. Combined with two relievers, the Mets’ pitching staff allowed just two hits during the backend of the doubleheader.

The biggest offseason acquisition for the Mets, Scherzer struck out 10 and allowed just one hit and one earned run with three walks over seven innings.

Another new addition to the team, Eduardo Escobar, hit a two-run double in the third and scored on a Smith single to put the Mets up 3-0. New York went on to win 3-1 after Mike Yastrzemski scored on a Darin Ruf single off Scherzer in the sixth.

The tide turned on Wednesday night when the Giants’ bats came out blazing in the first inning. Mets starting pitcher Chris Bassitt gave up five earned runs, three of which happened in the opening frame. Marte and Mark Canha each had RBI singles in the seventh and eighth innings, but the Mets were unable to rally and ultimately lost 5-2.

In the series finale, Carlos Carrasco had the best outing of his Mets career, finishing with a stat line of 7.2 innings pitched, two earned runs on four hits, seven strikeouts, and no walks. He retired 18 Giants in a row. Carrasco exited the game in the eighth to a standing ovation by a crowd of nearly 29,000.

Offensively, Lindor remained hot, recording three hits, one of which was a solo home run. Escobar also connected on a ball that left the park for his first home run as a New York Met. The home run gave the Mets the lead for good as they went on to win 6-2.

In the short season, the Mets now sit at 10-4 and have won all four series. They rank second in runs scored (67) and ERA (2.52), and first in hits (120) and rotation ERA (2.10).

The Mets look to stay hot as they head to the desert for three against the Arizona Diamondbacks (5-8).

(Photo: AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)