The Mets rode an early onslaught of offense and Carlos Carrasco’s stellar pitching to victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon, giving the team their MLB-best 10th win.
Carrasco finished the game with 2 outs in the 8th inning, after giving up just 4 hits in 91 pitches — and managed to retire 18 in a row between the 2nd and 8th innings. He now boasts an 1.47 ERA through three starts on the young season.
Meanwhile, Francisco Lindor, who was serving as designated hitter for the game, led off the offensive attack for the Amazins in the 1st inning with a solo home run to right field off a 92 mph fastball from righty Anthony DeSclafani.
Eduardo Escobar began the 2nd inning with another bomb to right off a DeSclafani changeup for his first longball as a Met, before a pair of singles brought outfielder Travis Jankowski to third base with 1 out. Catcher Tomas Nido then took to the batter’s box and lobbed a sacrifice fly to right, bringing Jankowski across the plate for the Mets’ 3rd run of the game.
Meanwhile, the Giants reached the scoreboard only twice in the game — first coming in the 2nd inning after Carrasco hit the leadoff batter on a wild slider, before a pair of singles brought the runner home with no outs. The troubling start to the inning would quickly turn around, as Carrasco retired the next three batters to bring the team back to the dugout.
Carrasco would go on to retire the side in the next 5 innings.
The Mets impressive offensive performance, on the other hand, continued in the 3rd, when Lindor led-off with a blooper to center field, and a Jeff McNeil double brought the game’s DH to third base. Lindor nearly used his speed to round the corner and head home, but third base coach Joey Cora held him up.
That decision turned out well in hindsight, as Mark Canha took the plate with two outs, and sent a blooper over the head of the Giants infielders for a clutch two-RBI single — bringing the Mets to a 5–1 lead.
That swing from Canha continued the Mets’ standout early-season ability to string together hits with runners on base.
The Giants would only score again in the 8th inning, when outfielder Mike Yastrzemski sent a Carrasco fastball over the right field fence for a solo homer. Mets manager Buck Showalter pulled Carrasco from the game after that — and he headed back to the dugout having thrown more outs than in any game since 2019.
For more coverage of Carlos Carrasco and the Mets, head to amNY.com
Not content with a 5–2 lead, the Mets tacked on another run in the 8th inning, when a walk and an impressive bunt from Luis Guillorme, followed by a deep single to right from Brandon Nimmo drove a runner across the plate.
That 4 run cushion was more than enough for right-handed pitcher Edwin Díaz, who retired the side in the 9th to end the game, and give the Mets their 4th-straight series win.
The Mets now move a 10–3 record for a .769 win percentage on the year, which is the best in the MLB, and puts them 4 wins ahead of the second-place Washington Nationals in the NL East.
