San Francisco Giants at New York Mets

7:10 PM ET
By Bush Staff·2 min read
San Francisco GiantsSF(58-83)
New York MetsNYM(63-77)
610
FINAL
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Two rookie arms took the mound at Citi Field looking like they'd trade zeros all night. Instead the Mets scored early, scored late, and never let the Giants back in it.

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NYM
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First pitch went off at 7:10 PM ET with a matchup of opposite trajectories on the mound: Matt Wilkinson (0-2, 6.28 ERA), the Giants' rookie lefty barely 2 weeks into his big-league career, against Nolan McLean (10-8, 3.12 ERA), the Mets' righty who's spent the summer building a real case for NL Rookie of the Year. One arm was still finding his footing. The other has looked like he belongs since the day he got here.

FINAL
Spread
WIN
Total
(58-83)
LWLWW
6
(63-77)
WLWLW
10
Best BetMets -174
Postgame

The Mets won outright as argued, and it wasn't particularly close. McLean's edge over a rookie debut arm showed up immediately — New York built a 7-run cushion in the first two innings and never needed the bullpen to bail anyone out, which made the thin relief corps a non-issue this time.

Pregame

The Mets are sending out the best arm in this game by a wide margin, and it isn't particularly close. Wilkinson is a September call-up still finding his footing, and McLean's been shutting teams down all summer — that's the whole case, and it's a strong one.

The gap between the two rosters shows up everywhere but the box score first. San Francisco is playing out a rebuild under Tony Vitello, and its pitching staff has been gutted by injury — Adrian Houser, Carson Whisenhunt, Joel Peguero, Hayden Birdsong, Randy Rodriguez and Jose Butto are all done or shut down for the year, on top of Willy Adames and Matt Chapman missing from the lineup. New York's issues are smaller by comparison but still real: setup men Devin Williams and Reed Garrett are both on the injured list, thinning a bullpen that would otherwise be shielding McLean's turn through the rotation.

Matt Wilkinson
Matt Wilkinson
(0-3)·6.14 ERA
Aug 29 vs Diamondbacks
L
6.0IP
2ER
4K
2BB
90P
09/04 Lineup
Nolan McLean
Nolan McLean
(11-8)·3.06 ERA
Aug 29 vs Astros
W
7.0IP
0ER
4K
3BB
93P
09/04 Lineup

None of that mattered much once the game actually started. The Mets jumped Wilkinson for 3 runs in the first and 4 more in the second, and the rout was on before Citi Field had settled into its seats. San Francisco chipped away — 2 in the third, a run in the seventh, 3 in the eighth — and out-hit New York 12 to 9, but every rally arrived too late to matter against a 7-run hole.

09/03L@Pirates2-5
09/02W@Pirates5-4
09/01L@Pirates12-13
08/31W@Braves7-3
08/29WvsDiamondbacks7-2
09/02W@Rays10-4
09/01L@Rays2-6
08/31W@Rays3-2
08/30LvsAstros3-6
08/29WvsAstros6-2

McLean didn't need to be perfect behind that kind of support, and he wasn't world-beating this time out, but the damage was already done before the Giants' bats woke up. San Francisco's bullpen, already thin from the IL list, had no answer for the middle innings, and the final was 10-6 in the Mets' favor.

  • 10-Day-ILVictor Bericoto (LF)The Giants announced Tuesday that Bericoto (knee) has begun a hitting and throwing progression and will start running later this week, MLB.com reports.09/03
  • 10-Day-ILWilly Adames (SS)Adames got a second opinion on his elbow Thursday and is expected to miss three to four weeks, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.08/27
  • 10-Day-ILMarcelo Mayer (2B)Mayer (forearm) had his rehab assignment paused due to a bone bruise in his right foot, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.08/21
  • 15-Day-ILSam Hentges (RP)The Giants placed Hentges on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a left forearm strain.08/30
  • 15-Day-ILJT Brubaker (RP)Brubaker was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday due to bruised ribs, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.08/25
  • 60-Day-ILNewJesus Rodriguez (C)The Giants transferred Rodriguez (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Friday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.09/04
  • 60-Day-ILKeaton Winn (RP)The Giants transferred Winn (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.09/03
  • 60-Day-ILAdrian Houser (SP)The Giants transferred Houser (forearm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, effectively ending his season, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.09/01
  • 60-Day-ILMatt Gage (RP)Gage was pulled off his rehab assignment and shut down from throwing for a week after experiencing discomfort in his left elbow, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.09/01
  • 60-Day-ILCasey Schmitt (LF)The Giants transferred Schmitt (knee) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.08/30
  • 60-Day-ILCarson Whisenhunt (SP)MRI results on Whisenhunt's left elbow revealed a torn UCL on Tuesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.08/26
  • 60-Day-ILJoel Peguero (RP)Peguero has been shut down for the season due to a recurring left hamstring injury, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.08/21
  • 60-Day-ILDaniel Susac (C)Susac (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday.08/19
  • 60-Day-ILHarrison Bader (CF)Giants manager Tony Vitello said Thursday that Bader (foot) won't return from the 10-day injured list before the end of the season, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.08/19
  • 60-Day-ILMatt Chapman (3B)The Giants transferred Chapman (abdomen) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.08/14
  • 60-Day-ILTrevor McDonald (SP)McDonald is scheduled to undergo UCL reconstruction surgery in early August, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.08/13
  • 60-Day-ILRowan Wick (RP)The Giants placed Wick (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILHayden Birdsong (RP)Birdsong underwent successful UCL reconstruction surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILRandy Rodriguez (RP)The Giants placed Rodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury News reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILJose Butto (RP)The Giants transferred Butto (arm) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
  • 15-Day-ILDevin Williams (RP)Williams (shoulder) began playing catch Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.08/29
  • 15-Day-ILCionel Perez (RP)The Mets placed Perez on the 15-day injured list Friday with a left forearm strain.07/31
  • 60-Day-ILJorge Polanco (DH)The Mets transferred Polanco (ankle) to the 60-day injured list Friday.08/28
  • 60-Day-ILReed Garrett (RP)The Mets placed Garrett (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILTylor Megill (SP)The Mets placed Megill (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.05/08

The Polymarket chat matched the game's shape — its busiest 5-minute stretch landed right as the Mets were piling on early, and the room reacted accordingly. "Not even under 15 would hit," one poster wrote as the total blew past the number, while another, ironically, insisted "Under is good asf" well after that ship had sailed. For a Giants team playing out the string and a Mets club still chasing .500, it was a lopsided Friday — but McLean's turn through the rotation remains appointment viewing regardless of the final score.

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