QUEENS, NY — Rafael Devers drove in four, including a three-run home run in the third inning, Jung Hoo Lee went 4-for-4, and the San Francisco Giants exploded for seven runs between the third and fourth innings against Frankie Montas in their 12-4 thumping of the New York Mets on Sunday at Citi Field.
“It was definitely a tough day for me,” Montas said. “… I missed a couple spots against Devers. He’s a great hitter, and he put some good swings on them.”
The dropping of the rubber game means the Mets (63-49) have now lost four of their last five games, as they were stymied by San Francisco’s No. 3 overall prospect, Carson Whisenhunt, who allowed just two runs on three hits with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work in his second career MLB start.
Francisco Lindor’s 21st home run of the season, and just his fifth from the right side, in the top of the first to give the Mets an early 1-0 lead suggested that they were picking up from their 12-run outburst a day earlier. But they would only muster two more hits off the 24-year-old left-hander, as their struggles against southpaws this season continue.
“Once you get four, once you get down seven, it’s a completely different game. It’s different at-bats,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You’ve got to take pitches. It’s a completely different game as far as approaching him as a lefty. So I’m not going to make too much of the at-bats once you go down seven runs early in the game.”
The Giants got to Montas in the third when Lee led off with a single, stole second, and took third when Lindor was unable to reel in a low throw from Francisco Alvarez. Lee came in to score when the next batter, Patrick Bailey, lined a single past the diving shortstop.
After walking Heliot Ramos, Devers took Montas into the upper deck in right field — Juan Soto didn’t even look — to cap off the four-run frame.
“That pitch to Devers was right down the middle,” Mendoza said. “A four-seamer, right there… When you do that to good hitters, they’re going to make you pay.”
“If I could take that ball back and make a different pitch, I would,” Montas added.
San Francisco put up three more in the fourth on four hits, though Montas’ nightmare was further fueled by bad fundamentals. Casey Schmitt and Lee’s back-to-back singles put runners on the corners for Bailey, whose sharp grounder to first was not fielded cleanly by Pete Alonso. The Mets’ first baseman then hesitated before trying to throw home, which was too late to get Schmitt.
Ramos’ infield hit and Devers’ RBI single made it a 7-1 game, and bloating Montas’ season ERA to 6.68. His final line included seven hits to go with those seven runs, along with three strikeouts and two walks.
“They put the ball in play, they hit some balls hard,” Mendoza said. “Then Devers got him… Overall, not getting swing-and-misses, location, and he got hit.”
Alvarez pulled one back for the Mets with a two-out double in the fifth to score Jeff McNeil from first. Upon Whisenhunt’s departure with one out in the sixth, former Met Jose Butto — sent to the Giants in the Tyler Rogers trade last week — went 1.2 innings of scoreless ball with three strikeouts.
The Giants added further insult to New York’s injury against reliever Ryne Stanek when Dominic Smith delivered a bases-loaded two-run single. Schmitt then parked a three-run shot into the left-field seats.
With the deficit at 10, Mendoza turned to catcher Luis Torrens to record the final out of the inning, which he did by coaxing a Bailey flyout to center. Alvarez drove in two with a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth — a mere consolation prize for a struggling team.
