There was insult and injury for the Giants in New York on Thursday.
San Francisco dropped their first series of the year, losing the third of four contests to the Mets, 6-2, in what was probably the most listless all-around performance of the young season. Amazingly, the Giants had won their 12 previous regular season series dating back to last season.
They also lost another player to injury in Steven Duggar, who exited the game in the second inning after a swing caused him discomfort. The team announced it’s a left oblique issue for Duggar, which means the left-handed hitter could be out for a bit. He joins starting pitcher Alex Cobb as the casualties from the disappointing trip to the Big Apple.
Aside from Duggar, the story of the game was a dominating effort from Mets starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco. It was a vintage performance from the 35-year-old who cruised through the Giants’ lineup, needing just 91 pitches to get through 7 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and two runs.
Carrasco retired 18 straight Giants batters from the second to the eighth innings, using a fastball-slider combination to strike out seven and create soft contact.
Carrasco was finally chased in the top of the eighth, when Mike Yastrzemski turned on a 3-1 fastball and put it into the right-field seats. The solo shot was Yaz’s first of the season, and the Giants’ first hit since the second inning.
The Giants and Mets entered Thursday’s game having each scored 10 runs in the first three contests, but it didn’t take long for the home team to add to their total. The red hot Francisco Lindor golfed a DeSclafani fastball over the right-field wall for a solo shot, his fourth home run of the young season.
Lindor’s home run broke an impressive streak that has reflected the Giants’ stellar pitching up to this point. It was the first long ball San Francisco had given up in 10 days, last giving up a jack to San Diego’s Aaron Nola on April 11.
It was the beginning of a rough day for DeSclafani, who had trouble with location early, consistently leaving pitches over the plate that the Mets tagged. Slider location was a specific issue for the right-hander, who is also dealing with a dip in fastball velocity to start the season.
DeSclafani gave up another home run in the second inning, this one a 0-1, 85 mph changeup right down the pipe that Eduardo Escobar blasted to right. It was one of three hits Disco gave up in the inning, the Mets also scoring on a sac fly.
The game’s most crucial at-bat came in the bottom of the third, when DeSclafani looked like he was going to get himself out of a jam and preserve a manageable 3-1 deficit. After giving up a single and double to open the inning, DeSclafani forced a Pete Alonso groundout to short and struck out Escobar to keep the runners on.
Alas, luck would not be on DeSclafani’s side, when Mark Canha smacked a well-placed sinker to shallow left, scoring both runs and extending the Mets’ lead 5-1.
Aside from Yaz’s home run, the other offensive blip came off Thairo Estrada’s bat in the second inning, when the second baseman knocked home Brandon Crawford from second with a single. It was the infielder’s team-leading ninth of the season, as he continues to make a strong case to be the team’s everyday 2B when Tommy La Stella returns from the IL.
San Francisco’s season-long road trip continues on Friday in Nationals Park for game one of a three game tilt vs. Washington.