What we learned as Bailey’s grand slam sealed another comeback win for the Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
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SAN FRANCISCO – For the third day in a row, the Giants participated in a game that included a grand slam. This time it was one of their stars who scored the hit, and it led to a third major comeback in a row.
Patrick Bailey’s first career slam turned the score around in the top of the eighth inning and helped the Giants stun the New York Mets, who led 6-2 after seven innings but lost 8-7 in one of the most intense games of the season. After huge comebacks against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday and Thursday, the Giants did the exact same thing to a Mets team that desperately needed a good weekend at Citi Field.
Mike Yastrzemski added an insurance blast in the top of the ninth, and it ended up being crucial. The Mets scored a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth and Francisco Lindor got a run back with a hard single off the right field wall that was a few feet away from a tying home run. The Mets loaded the bases, but Camilo Doval struck out JD Martinez and Matt Chapman closed the game with a barehanded grab that will go down as one of the best plays of his career.
The Giants became the first team since the 1999 Florida Marlins to win three straight games after trailing by at least four points. This is the first time the Giants have ever done this, and they are the first team to do this on the road since 1932.
Here are the takeaways from a win that pushes the Giants to 26-26:
Mr. New York
Before the slam, Bailey had just two big-league three-run homers, but one was in a similar situation. Last June at Citi Field, he hit a three-run homer to give the Giants the lead in the eighth inning of a game they would win.
The top five hitters in the lineup had only one hit in the top of the eighth inning, but a bit of luck left the Giants at the bottom of the standings. Mike Yastrzemski hit a funky roller that bounced off third base for a single and Marco Luciano hit a bloop to right that fell between two Mets. The Giants got a point back on Thairo Estrada’s hard drive to right-center, setting the stage for Bailey.
The slam came from tough righty Reed Garrett, who had allowed just three total runs in 18 appearances in this series. Reed has now given up six points to the Giants this season and just two to everyone else.
Five out of five
Kyle Harrison pitched for the first time in New York and got off to a rough start. A double by Lindor and a single by Pete Alonso put the Mets right on the board in the bottom of the first, but Harrison settled down to take a 2–1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. He limited the damage somewhat that inning after runners reached second and third with no outs, but the Mets poured it on as Harrison was just trying to end his day.
With two outs in the fifth and his pitch count at 90, Harrison gave up a solo blast to Martinez. His 94th pitch was a changeup that stuck for Mark Vientos, who hit another solo homer. Harrison allowed home runs in each of his first four starts this season, but he had gone six straight without allowing one.
Harrison ultimately achieved a career-high with 98 pitches. He was charged with five runs (four of which were earned) on six hits and two walks. The Mets became the first team to score five runs off the southpaw this season.
Big apple explosion
Despite spending two years with the Marlins and half of one with the Atlanta Braves, Jorge Soler had never before homerun at Citi Field. He actually only had 25 plate appearances heading into this series, and he also had no RBI.
Soler took care of both by occupying the deepest part of the garden. His homer to center snuck just over Harrison Bader’s outstretched glove in center to tie the game in the top of the second.
After a slow start to the season, the Giants suddenly have a number of players who are getting closer to living up to energy expectations. Soler’s homer was his sixth, which puts him fourth on the team behind Matt Chapman (8), Estrada (8) and Michael Conforto (7).
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