Sports

Seventh inning homers from Ronny Mauricio, Juan Soto help Mets secure sweep of Giants

The Mets secured the series sweep of the San Francisco Giants with a 5-3 win on Sunday night at Oracle Park.

New York extended it’s winning streak to seven games.

Here are some takeaways…

– The bottom of the order did a great job creating the Mets’ first three runs of the game. Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio led off the third with back-to-back singles, and two batters later Alvarez scored on a Francisco Lindor RBI groundout.

Two innings later the young duo would strike again, as back-to-back doubles leading off the fifth put the Mets back in front. Mauricio advanced to third on a Brandon Nimmo groundout, but he was gunned down trying to score on a Lindor roller to short.

Alvarez had another big opportunity with two on and two out in the top of the sixth, but right-hander Randy Rodriguez struck him out — Mauricio picked him up an inning later, though, smacking a game-tying leadoff homer into McCovey Cove against one of the top relievers in the game.

Mauricio doubled again leading off the ninth, giving him the first four-hit game of his career.

– Juan Soto looked a little lost during his first three at-bats, but he delivered his fourth time up, lifting an 0-1 fastball the other way for a go-ahead solo homer. The Mets are the first time since April to put up multiple runs against Rodriguez.

That snapped an eight-game homerless streak for Soto, who now has 25 on the season.

– Kodai Senga was chased after just three innings in his last outing, but he got off to a better start in this one. The right-hander struck out back-to-back batters in the bottom of the second to work his way out of a first and third jam with one out.

After the Mets handed him the lead in the third, Senga was helped out by a Heliot Ramos base-running miscue to work around another man in scoring position. The Giants were able to strike against him an inning later, though, as Matt Chapman led off the fourth with a solo shot to left-center.

San Fran pushed two into scoring position, but Senga got Jung Hoo Lee to pop out to avoid further damage. He retired the first two batters after the Mets retook the lead in the fifth, but Chapman would get him again, this time with a two-run homer to center.

Senga finished the night with a final line of three runs allowed on four hits and five walks.

– The Mets’ bullpen threw well behind Senga. José Buttó put together a scoreless sixth, Gregory Soto worked a 1-2-3 seventh in his Mets debut, Reed Garrett got the first two outs in the eighth, then Brooks Raley one before Edwin Diaz locked down the save.

The Giants loaded the bases against Diaz, but he struck out Willy Adames and Chapman to win the game.

– It didn’t take long for Starling Marte to extend his five-game hitting streak — the veteran righty picked up the Mets’ first hit of the night with a two out opposite-field single in the top of the second. Marte blooped another single to center in the eighth, giving him another multi-hit game.

Game MVP(s): Francisco Alvarez & Ronny Mauricio

The young duo was square in the middle of things all night for the Mets — finishing a combined 6-for-8.

Highlights

What’s next

The Mets head to San Diego to start a three-game set with the Padres.

Frankie Montas takes the ball against potential Mets trade target Dylan Cease at 9:40 p.m.

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