Brandon Crawford hit the go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning Wednesday night for the visiting San Francisco Giants, who held on to edge the New York Mets 3-2.
The win was the 82nd of the season for the Giants, who are the first team to clinch a winning record. San Francisco, in first place in the National League West, is 17-5 this month.
The Mets fell to 6-17 this month as they dropped seven games behind the idle Atlanta Braves in the NL East. New York entered August with a four-game lead atop the division.
Mets starter Taijuan Walker (7-9) carried a one-hitter into the seventh -- he retired the first 11 batters before giving up Kris Bryant's long homer to center -- and was nursing a 2-1 lead before third baseman Jonathan Villar misplayed Bryant's leadoff grounder. Alex Dickerson followed with a bloop single, after which an aghast Walker was pulled at 74 pitches by Mets manager Luis Rojas.
Left-hander Aaron Loup entered and immediately gave up the double to the left-handed-hitting Crawford.
The Mets, who hit into five double plays, threatened against Jake McGee in bizarre fashion in the ninth, when Brandon Belt dropped a one-out foul pop by Villar before Villar singled. Pinch-hitter Brandon Drury followed with a routine fly to center, but Dickerson, the left fielder, collided with Austin Slater, who was calling off Dickerson. Slater bobbled and dropped the ball.
After Francisco Lindor popped out, Brandon Nimmo drew a seven-pitch walk. Pete Alonso fouled off three pitches before popping out to second as McGee locked down his 29th save.
Tony Watson (5-3) was credited with the win despite giving up three hits and the go-ahead run in the sixth on Dominic Smith's one-out double. The Mets tied the game an inning earlier when Bryant threw the ball away on Alonso's routine two-out, bases-loaded grounder.
Walker, Smith and Villar all had two hits.
Walker was charged with three runs (two earned) and walked one while striking out three.
San Francisco's Johnny Cueto, who missed the previous 17 days with a strained forearm, allowed the unearned run on five hits and three walks while striking out two over 4 2/3 innings.
--Field Level Media
San Francisco | NY Mets | |
Johnny Cueto | Player | Taijuan Walker |
No Decision | W/L | Loss |
4.2 | IP | 6.0 |
2 | Strikeouts | 3 |
5 | Hits | 2 |
0.00 | ERA | 3.00 |
San Francisco | NY Mets | |
Darin Ruf | Player | Taijuan Walker |
1 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
2 | TB | 2 |
1.000 | Avg | 1.000 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
San Francisco | 4 | 1 | 9 | .133 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
NY Mets | 10 | 0 | 11 | .294 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 |