Three takeaways from Mets' series vs. San Francisco Giants
Mets relief pitcher Tyler Rogers delivers against the San Francisco Giants during an MLB game at Citi Field on Saturday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Mets dropped their first series after the trade deadline, losing two of three to the Giants at Citi Field over the weekend.
They opened the series with a 4-3 extra-innings loss on Friday followed by two blowouts: Saturday’s 12-6 win and Sunday’s 12-4 loss.
Here are three takeaways from the three-game set:
1. Three new faces welcomed
On Wednesday, the Mets (63-49) strengthened their bullpen by acquiring submariner Tyler Rogers from the Giants and righthander Ryan Helsley, one of the game’s best closers, from the Cardinals.
A day later, they traded for Orioles centerfielder Cedric Mullins.
Each of the relievers pitched one inning this weekend, Helsley on Friday and Rogers on Saturday.
Helsley entered in a 3-3 ballgame to start the ninth, working around two singles and striking out three in a scoreless inning. He touched 100 mph seven times.
“I had a moment [Friday] where I looked up at the scoreboard, and I saw Helsley and [Edwin] Diaz warming up at the same time and saw their faces on there,” Tyrone Taylor said. “I was like, ‘Holy cow, that's insane, man.’”
Rogers, facing his former team, entered with the Mets holding a 7-4 lead to begin the seventh. He allowed a leadoff single but retired the next three batters in a scoreless inning.
Mullins made his Mets debut as a pinch hitter with two outs and none on in the bottom of the ninth Friday, popping out to third. He started in centerfield on Saturday and Sunday and went 1-for-8 in the series.
“We definitely got better, a lot better,” manager Carlos Mendoza said.
2. What’s up with Juan Soto?
Though Juan Soto fouled a ball off his left foot on Tuesday in San Diego and missed Wednesday’s game, the Mets dodged a major bullet as their $765 million man returned for the Giants series.
Though he had a single in each of the games against San Francisco, Soto went 3-for-13 in the series.
Soto had two important at-bats in the late moments of Friday night’s loss. He had an eighth-inning RBI single off Joey Lucchesi’s foot that cut the Mets’ deficit to 3-2. But in the 10th, with men on first and second and one out, he popped out to second.
Soto had a torrid June, posting a 1.196 OPS with 11 homers. But in 14 games since the All-Star break, he is batting only .154 (8-for-52) with two homers.
He is not in a full-blown slump yet, but the situation is at least worth monitoring.
3. Pete Alonso is nearing history
Before the season, it was a matter of when, not if, Alonso would become the Mets’ all-time home run leader.
The answer could come during this week’s three-game series against the Guardians at Citi Field.
Alonso hit two homers against the Giants, one Friday and one Saturday, to reach 250 for his career. He needs two homers to tie Darryl Strawberry for the most in franchise history.
“The record is obviously something that is really special, and it's meaningful,” Alonso said. “But right now, in the heat of it, I'm not really too focused on that or worried about it. I'm just focused on wins and what I can help this team do to win each game.”
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
