NEW YORK — It wasn’t a pretty win, but given how the last couple weeks have gone, the Giants will take wins however they come.
The Giants snapped a six-game losing streak on Friday night at Citi Field with a 4-3 victory in 10 innings over the New York Mets. All-Star Randy Rodríguez, the team’s new closer after Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval were traded, recorded his first save (and second overall) in his new role.
Robbie Ray turned in his best start of the second half, pitching seven innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts.
Casey Schmitt generated the game’s first run in the top of the second with an RBI double that gave the Giants a 1-0 lead. Jung Hoo Lee immediately doubled that lead to 2-0 by driving in Wilmer Flores with a groundout.
The Giants continued padding that lead in the top of the seventh when Patrick Bailey scorched a line drive over the outstretched glove of first baseman Pete Alonso to drive in Lee and increase the lead to 3-0. For Bailey, it was a bit of vengeance after Alonso made a leaping catch to rob Bailey of a game-tying RBI last Saturday.
The Mets finally scored their first run of the ballgame in the bottom of the seventh when Alonso hit an opposite-field solo homer, slicing the Giants’ lead to 3-1. New York continued threatening when Jeff McNeil lined a two-out double to left-center field, prompting a mound visit from pitching coach J.P. Martinez.
On Ray’s 102nd and final pitch of the evening, the Mets’ Luis Torrens smashed a 105.1 mph line drive directly at right fielder Luis Matos, ending the inning and preserving the two-run lead.
With Rogers wearing a different uniform, former Met Joey Lucchesi was handed the top of the eighth inning with the Giants leading by two runs. By the end of the frame, the game would be tied at three apiece.
Lucchesi began the eighth by getting Taylor to fly out, but Brandon Nimmo drew a walk and Francisco Lindor singled to set the table for the heart of New York’s order. Juan Soto, the Mets’ $765 million man, singled home a run to bring the score to 3-2. With runners at the corners and Pete Alonso coming up, manager Bob Melvin summoned Buttó for his first appearance as a Giant.
Talk about a soft landing.
Buttó couldn’t protect the lead. Alonso hit a towering fly ball to center field, and Lindor scored easily from third to tie the game. Buttó prevented further damage, but the lead was gone. Neither team scored in the ninth, and the game headed to extra innings.
Dominic Smith entered the game off the bench in the top of the 10th and gave the Giants a 4-3 lead with an RBI single. In the bottom of the 10th, Rodríguez would be tasked with facing the top of New York’s order — Nimmo, Lindor, Soto — with the automatic runner on second base.
Rodríguez began the 10th by getting Nimmo to pop out but then plunked Lindor, putting the go-ahead run on base with one out. Soto harmlessly popped out to second, but Alonso drew a walk to load the bases for Ronny Mauricio, who homered off Rodríguez last week in San Francisco. This time, Rodríguez got his revenge by striking out Mauricio to end the game.
Flores removed from ballgame early
Wilmer Flores was pulled from the ballgame after beating out an infield single in the top of the eighth inning.
Flores, 33, walked very gingerly back to first base after beating out the single and was soon met by manager Bob Melvin and trainer Dave Groeschner. Christian Koss, who was activated from the injured list prior to the game, served as Flores’ replacement.
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