The Sports Xchange
May 9, 2017
NEW YORK -- Zack Wheeler threw six strong innings, and the New York Mets scored four runs in the first inning on their way to a 6-1 win over the reeling San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night at Citi Field.
The Mets (16-16) have won five of their past six and eight of their past 11 games. The Giants (11-23) have lost five straight and eight of 10.
Wheeler (2-2) allowed one run on two hits and four walks while striking out four in lasting six innings for just the second time in six starts this season. Four Mets pitchers combined to allow no hits over the final three innings.
Neil Walker, whose walk-off single Monday lifted the Mets to a 4-3 win over the Giants, laced a two-run triple in the first on Tuesday. Jose Reyes (single) and Rene Rivera (double) added RBI hits later in the inning.
T.J. Rivera went 3-for-4 with an RBI double in the second, and Michael Conforto finished 2-for-4 with a homer leading off the seventh. Rene Rivera and Wilmer Flores each had two hits.
Buster Posey homered in the fourth for the Giants.
Losing pitcher Jeff Samardzija recorded the only other hit for San Francisco. Samardzija (0-5) managed to last seven innings despite giving up the six runs on 10 hits and no walks while striking out nine.
The Mets jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first, when T.J. Rivera singled with one out and went to third on Jay Bruce's double. Walker followed with a sinking liner to left that Eduardo Nunez overran into a two-run triple. One out later, Reyes singled home Walker. Rene Rivera followed with an RBI double.
T.J. Rivera's one-out RBI double in the second extended the Mets' lead to 5-0.
Posey's second homer in as many games in the fourth pulled the Giants within 5-1.
NOTES: The Mets reinstated RHP Matt Harvey from the suspended list and optioned LHP Josh Smoker to Triple-A Las Vegas. Harvey, who completed a three-game suspension for a violation of team rules, acknowledged during a pregame press conference that he was out late Friday and played golf Saturday before not reporting to Citi Field for the Saturday night game. ... The Giants placed RHP Mark Melancon on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, with a mild right pronator strain. The team will announce a corresponding move Wednesday.