© John Hefti | 2021 Aug 16
The New York Mets’ 3-2 lead on Monday night lasted just 12 pitches.
It was the bottom of the fifth inning, both starters’ nights were done, and each team had traded the lead their previous times up.
But then, San Francisco’s superstar trade deadline acquisition stepped up to the plate and did what he’s done since he put on a Giants uniform: produced. After Mets reliever Miguel Castro got Mike Yastrzemski to ground out, Alex Dickerson blasted a double off the arcade wall.
Castro then had to face Kris Bryant.
Bryant, a four-time All-Star, took Castro’s 12th pitch in the inning 414 feet to straightaway center. The blast came off his bat at 107 mph and gave the Giants a 4-3 lead, one it would only add to.
Later, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Bryant belted another homer, this one pulled over the left field fence. He hit it one pitch after Brandon Belt smacked his own solo shot as a pinch hitter. The duo gave SF the insurance runs they needed to pull away and win 7-5.
Though Bryant has shown less power with the Giants than he did with the Cubs, he’s now hitting 17-for-56 (.303) with three homers since the deadline. He’s appeared completely comfortable his entire time in The Bay while providing the versatility and middle-of-the-order consistency SF needed for a boost. With the win over the Mets (59-59), the Giants (77-42) improved to 12-3 in August — all games with Bryant — and don’t seem to be slowing down.
“It feels right,” Bryant said of playing in San Francisco. “Just really good people. They put their head down, they go to work, they’re not flashy. I kind of see myself as that type of player, too. I think that’s kind of what the Giants organization is all about.”
Giants go back-to-back on consecutive pitches including Bryant's second of the night ? pic.twitter.com/DoxWGh21CY
— KNBR (@KNBR) August 17, 2021
After Bryant gave the Giants the lead in the fifth, the Mets threatened to once again flip the score. They’d already erased San Francisco’s 2-0 lead with a three-run fifth inning led by Pete Alonso’s triple, and started the top of the sixth with two base runners. José Álvarez inherited one out and two runners from Jay Jackson, but promptly got Brandon Nimmo to pop out before striking Michael Conforto out looking. Danger averted.
Bryant’s home run not only gave the Giants the lead, but put starter Kevin Gausman in position for his career-high 12th win of the season. Gausman was far from flawless on Monday, struggling early with control issues on his splitter and allowing hard contact his third time through the Mets order.
But Gausman did just enough to capitalize on the run support. The Mets left six runners on base against Gausman — and nine total — and struggled to turn on Gausman’s fastball, which he threw 1.1% harder than his season average, per Baseball Savant.
The Giants, meanwhile, continued its approach that Bryant described as “contagious.”
“I feel like the at-bats are always quality, and you just don’t want to be the guy that doesn’t continue that for the team,” Bryant said. “It’s a contagious approach, where we’re working the ball through the middle. We’re not letting the starter steal strikes from the very first pitch, and right when the bell rings, we’re ready to go. It’s really fun to be a part of.”
Monday serves as the Mets’ fourth consecutive loss. They arrived at Oracle Park less than 24 hours after a 14-4 loss to the Dodgers cemented a three-game sweep. And they brought their underachieving offense with them; the Mets entered Monday with the second-fewest runs scored in MLB behind only the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although New York scored five runs, it finished 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
As SF’s relievers — Jackson, Álvarez, Tony Watson, Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee — held the Mets’ impotent offense to one run through the final four innings, shortstop Brandon Crawford crossed the .300 barrier with a 4-for-4 night which included a stand-up triple. Wilmer Flores added two hits. Evan Longoria reached base twice and scored both times.
But it was still Bryant’s homers that made the difference.
Bryant now has 20 home runs on the year, the fifth time in his career he’s reached that threshold. Though he’s only hit three with the Giants, he adds power to the most potent lineup in the majors — the Giants are tied with Toronto for the MLB lead in long balls.
Bryant’s 16th multi-home run game of his career came as SF tries to win its seventh straight series. He delivered, and the Giants are on their way.