What we learned as no-quit Giants come back again in win vs. Mets

What we learned as no-quit Giants come back again in win vs. Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — This time, the Giants didn’t need four runs. They were down by just one, and once again they completed the comeback against the New York Mets.

The Giants tied the game in the ninth Saturday and then broke it open in extras, just as they did in Pittsburgh earlier on the trip. When Camilo Doval finished off a 7-2 win at Citi Field in the 10th, they had a fourth consecutive win and fourth consecutive comeback. They’ve scored 23 runs in the eighth inning or later of the four comeback wins.

After scoring eight runs on their first night at Citi Field, the Giants were pretty quiet against hard-throwing right-hander Luis Severino, who is off to a nice start with his new team. Severino allowed just two hits in seven innings, but the Giants again got to a struggling Mets bullpen.

Despite briefly losing his ninth-inning job, Edwin Diaz was back as the closer Saturday. Wilmer Flores greeted him with a leadoff single and Ryan McKenna took over at first and promptly stole second. LaMonte Wade Jr. came off the bench and drove a fastball into the right field corner, tying the game.

Another late-inning Marco Luciano error helped the Mets get the winning run to second with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Luke Jackson got Francisco Lindor to ground out and Pete Alonso to fly out.

Brett Wisely’s single brought the automatic runner home in the 10th and a bases-loaded walk of Patrick Bailey made it 4-2. Mike Yastrzemski broke it open with a bases-clearing triple.

Hicks On A Heater

Jordan Hicks pitched with diminished velocity the last time out after his pregame meal came right back up, but he was back to his usual self on Sunday. Hicks averaged 95 mph with his sinker and topped out at 98, which is the velocity that he has had for most of what has been a tremendous first season with the Giants.

In nine of 11 starts, Hicks has allowed fewer than three runs. Saturday’s start was his fifth time allowing exactly one run, and for the 10th time, he got through at least five innings. That was in doubt after Hicks needed 77 pitches to make it through four, but he worked through the top of the lineup so quickly in the fifth that he ended up having a long conversation with Bob Melvin and pitching coach Bryan Price in the dugout about whether he should continue.

The Giants are being careful with Hicks, who is 19 innings away from his previous career-high for an entire season. The results continue to be there, though. With a 2.33 ERA, he ranks fifth in the National League.

Wise Move

Severino buzzed through his day, especially early. He needed just 36 pitches to get through four perfect innings, but the Giants finally got to him in the sixth. With one out, Wisely stayed with an elevated sinker and lined a single into left for the first Giants hit. Wisely tied the game a few minutes later on a similar swing by Bailey.

Wisely was making just his second start of the year at shortstop, but it’s possible the Giants use him there more often as they wait for Nick Ahmed, who has started taking light swings but is still likely at least a couple of weeks from returning. Luciano has made three ninth-inning errors on this trip, and he was tested on a tough play immediately after entering in the ninth inning Saturday. On a grounder to second, Luciano couldn’t handle a firm feed from Thairo Estrada.

Wisely can move all over the field and finished the game at first base, a position he had not played since Double-A. With three hits Saturday, he’s 5-for-13 in seven appearances this season.

Patty Barrels

With a day game after a night game, Bailey usually would be off. But Melvin wasn’t about to take his bat out of the lineup after the game-winning grand slam on Friday night.

Bailey was the DH and hit third, with Jorge Soler instead being the one to get a day off. He was starting as a DH for just the second time in the big leagues, but if he keeps hitting like this, Melvin might use that move often. Bailey finished the day with a .840 OPS and the Giants have a trustworthy backup catcher in Curt Casali, who again did a nice job of shepherding Hicks through a start.

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