Mets again erase a big deficit with 7-run eighth, only to lose to Giants in ninth
Joc Pederson #23 of the San Francisco Giants trots around the bases after hitting a three-run home run off of Drew Smith #62 of the New York Mets in the bottom of the eighth inning at Oracle Park on May 24, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Credit: Getty Images/Thearon W. Henderson
SAN FRANCISCO — The consistent lesson from these Mets: If you go to sleep or otherwise give up on them for the night — even when they’re down by a lot, and even when they’re out west and the games go late — you do so at the risk of missing something chaotic.
What looked like their latest wild and improbable comeback instead became a crushing 13-12 defeat to the Giants after Edwin Diaz allowed two runs in the bottom of the ninth Tuesday night. Joc Pederson tied it with a single lined to centerfield — the end of his three-homer, four-hit, eight-RBI performance — and Brandon Crawford won it with a single grounded through a wide-open left side of the infield, ending a series of absurd events at Oracle Park.
Diaz thought he had it, too. Tommy La Stella had grounded into a double play, slickly turned by Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor, to move the Mets to an out away from victory before San Francisco re-rallied.
“When I came into the game, I said this game is over,” Diaz said. “After the double play, I thought I got the game. But they were swinging really good today. I missed a couple spots and got hit.”
Manager Buck Showalter said: “Great game for the fans. I’m really proud of our guys. That’s just fun to watch . . . You can see how much both teams wanted to win.”
The game, briefly: Chris Bassitt allowed eight runs in 4 1/3 innings, so the Mets (29-16) were down big. But Francisco Lindor’s homer in the seventh cut the deficit from six (statistically a blowout) to four (quite surmountable). Then they jumped ahead with a seven-run rally in the eighth against submarining righthander Tyler Rogers. But Pederson tied it for San Francisco (23-19) with his third home run — a three-run shot that landed in the bay beyond rightfield — against Drew Smith in the bottom of the eighth. In the top of the ninth, Dominic Smith (leadoff triple), Travis Jankowski (pinch runner) and Brandon Nimmo (sacrifice fly) teamed up for a run to put the Mets ahead again.
That set the stage for the Giants’ final dramatics.
Lindor finished 2-for-4 with six RBIs, including a go-ahead three-run triple in the eighth. Eduardo Escobar (4-for-5) and Jeff McNeil (3-for-4) also had big games.
But they weren’t better than Pederson, who told reporters that before the game he had “the best hitting conversation I’ve ever had” with Barry Bonds, baseball’s all-time home run king. That worked out. His was the first three-homer game by a Giants player at home since Bonds in 1994.
“That’s a good month for a lot of people,” Lindor said.
Among the strategic calls from Showalter: having Smith pitch to the lefthanded-hitting Pederson, representing the tying run, instead of bringing in lefthander Joely Rodriguez in the bottom of the eighth. The choice in effect was Smith versus Pederson or Rodriguez versus a righty-hitting pinch hitter, probably Evan Longoria, Showalter guessed.
“Pick your poison,” Showalter said.
Instead of daring Giants manager Gabe Kapler to remove the guy who already had hit two homers, Showalter picked the poison of Smith/Pederson. Tie game.
“Drew is one of our best pitchers,” Showalter said. “Drew is throwing the ball well. Had probably his best fastball of the year. Just one pitch.”
In the ninth, Showalter — who once intentionally walked Bonds with the bases loaded — could have intentionally walked Pederson in the ninth. That would have loaded the bases, pushing the potential tying run to third base, with two outs. He did not consider doing so, he said.
“And pitch to Crawford?” Showalter said. “They’re a good team. That’s why they’re successful.”
Giants righthander Logan Webb went five innings, yielding two runs, five hits and a walk. He struck out six.
The Mets needed the major comeback because Bassitt had his worst start of the season. Three of the eight hits he allowed were home runs, including two two-run shots from Pederson, who loitered near the plate as he enjoyed watching each.
In two starts against San Francisco, Bassitt has allowed 13 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings, an 11.33 ERA.
In seven starts against other teams, Bassitt has allowed 10 earned runs in 42 2/3 innings, a 1.41 ERA.
He said he has an idea about why that disparity exists but “I’m going to keep it to myself.”
Showalter said he was not concerned about the psychological toll this loss might take on the Mets.
“Too down?” he said. “Not this group.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
