Giants observations: SF salvages series split with important win over Mets
What we learned as Giants salvage series split with Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO -- What a difference 48 hours makes.
The Giants looked headed for the cellar on Friday night when they fell to 6-13 with two tough weeks of games ahead, but they rebounded for back-to-back wins over the weekend, earning a split with the New York Mets just as the roster looks like it's about to get close to full health.
Joc Pederson drove in an early run in his return and then scored from first on Mike Yastrzemski's double to right-center in the eighth. The late rally gave the Giants back-to-back wins for the first time all season. In the middle innings, that looked unlikely.
Ross Stripling was inserted back into the rotation after Alex Wood strained his hamstring, but like many Giants starters before him this season, he didn't make it to the fifth. Stripling left the bases loaded for Taylor Rogers, who immediately got a flyball to right that Michael Conforto dropped as he tried to square his body to throw home.
The Mets took the lead thanks to the misplay, but their own sloppy defense helped the Giants score twice in the fourth. The Mets tied it up, but Yastrzemski's double handed a lead to Camilo Doval, who picked up his second save.
Taking The Leap
Thairo Estrada blasted a solo shot into the left field bleachers in the second, giving the Giants a temporary 2-0 lead. The homer was his fourth and continued what has been a huge start for a player who should be in the All-Star conversation in a couple of months.
Estrada is batting .329 through 20 appearances with a .916 OPS. Entering the day, he ranked third among NL second basemen in fWAR and fourth in wRC+. Estrada was hit on the hand in his final at-bat but appeared to be okay. The Giants will need him to be, because he's fast turned into one of their most indispensable players.
They're Twins, You Know
It was very convenient for the national TV broadcast that Taylor Rogers and Tyler Rogers went back-to-back in the middle innings. Until one big swing, it was very convenient for the Giants, too.
Taylor took over for Stripling with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth and got two flyballs (one of which was dropped) before striking out Starling Marte. Tyler buzzed through the fifth and struck out the first two he faced in the sixth before rookie catcher Francisco Alvarez hit an elevated slider just over the wall in left. It was the first run against Tyler since last Sept. 6, snapping a streak of 27 straight scoreless innings.
Line Change
The Mets have just one lefty -- Brooks Raley -- in their bullpen but used him perfectly in the first game of the series. Raley came in to face Brandon Crawford, Blake Sabol and Brett Wisely and buzzed through the group of left-handed hitters, with Gabe Kapler choosing not to use Darin Ruf off the bench because the Giants were trailing by a pair and they wanted Ruf to bat with a runner on.
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Raley came in for a similar situation in the seventh inning on Sunday and this time the Giants took their shot. Wilmer Flores hit for Sabol and Ruf hit for Wisely -- but both of them struck out.
In a twist, the Giants did get their runner in scoring position when LaMonte Wade Jr. -- who struggles against lefties -- hit a two-out double. Conforto's strikeout ended the inning, but Kapler should have more options soon. Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater could come off the IL as soon as Monday.
