Francisco Lindor, Mets crush Giants in series finale

Francisco Lindor belted a pair of two-run home runs and the New York Mets salvaged one win in their three-game series against the host San Francisco Giants with an 8-2 victory on Wednesday afternoon. Capping a six-game California swing with a third win, the Mets jumped on Giants relievers Sean Hjelle (0-1) and Landen Roupp for six early runs as San Francisco had to resort to a bullpen day with starter Blake Snell scratched because of a strained left adductor. Snell, the defending National League Cy Young Award winner who has yet to record a win this season, was placed on the 15-day injured list. The Mets took advantage of the makeshift replacement crew, starting in the third, when Lindor launched his first two-run shot to open the scoring. It came off Hjelle, who had taken over for opener Ryan Walker an inning earlier. Tyrone Taylor added a solo shot in the fourth before the Mets doubled their advantage with a three-run fifth against Roupp. A two-out single by Pete Alonso and walk to Brett Baty set the stage for a two-run double by Taylor and an RBI single by Jeff McNeil. New York starter Sean Manaea, who played for the Giants last season, pitched into and out of trouble on multiple occasions in his 4 2/3 innings. He left the bases loaded in the second and picked off Austin Slater at second base to quiet a two-on threat in the third. The Giants put two on with one out in the fifth while trailing 6-0. Manaea struck out Michael Conforto then handed the ball to reliever Reed Garrett (4-0), who got Jorge Soler to pop out. Garrett went two innings and allowed two hits, including a solo homer by Tyler Fitzgerald. Lindor capped the Mets’ scoring with his second homer of the day and fourth of the season, a two-run bomb off Mitch White in the ninth. The Giants scored in the bottom of the inning on an error by Alonso. Lindor went 4-for-5 with four RBIs, and Taylor finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs. McNeil contributed a double and a single in New York’s 10-hit attack. Wilmer Flores had two hits for the Giants, who had a two-game winning streak end. –Field Level Media