Pinch hitter Luis Torrens stroked a go-ahead two-RBI double in a four-run eighth inning against the San Francisco bullpen Sunday afternoon, helping the visiting New York Mets rally for a 5-2 victory in a game that saw the first ejection of new Giants manager Tony Vitello.
After Logan Webb had limited the Mets to one run through seven innings, New York strung together five consecutive one-out hits against a pair of San Francisco relievers to flip the score and deliver a third straight win after a series-opening defeat Thursday.
Jorge Polanco got the uprising going with a one-out double off Keaton Winn (0-1), after which Luis Robert Jr. singled and stole second.
Stepping in for Jared Young, who had a 3-for-3 day going, Torrens then greeted Erik Miller with an opposite-field double to right to give New York the lead.
It became a two-run game when Matt Chapman threw Mark Vientos’ infield hit past first baseman Rafael Devers, scoring Torrens and sending Vientos to second, after which Marcus Semien lashed an RBI double to left, making it 5-2.
Huascar Brazoban (1-0) was credited with the win after following starter Kodai Senga with 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. Luke Weaver threw a 1-2-3 eighth before Devin Williams got the final three outs for his second save.
One of the four outs Brazoban recorded came on an interference call on Giants batter Jerar Encarnacion, who was deemed to have been outside of the runner’s lane en route to first as Brazoban’s throw eluded first baseman Vientos after fielding a chopper in front of the plate.
Replay clearly showed Encarnacion to the infield side of the allowable path as he approached the base, but Vitello argued his batter’s path didn’t have anything to do with the missed connection on the throw. He was ejected during a lengthy appeal.
The Giants led 2-1 at the time after scoring twice in the sixth and ending Senga’s day. Chapman drew San Francisco even with a two-out RBI double, scoring Patrick Bailey, and Devers hit Senga’s last pitch for a go-ahead single.
Senga was charged with two runs on five hits in his 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
The only run the Mets tallied against Webb came in the second consecutive singles by Robert, Young and Vientos. Webb went seven innings, allowing seven hits. He walked one and struck out three.
Robert matched Young’s three hits, while Polanco and Vientos had two hits apiece for the Mets, who outhit the Giants 13-7 in the homerless affair.
Chapman had a double and a single for the Giants, who fell to 1-6 at home this season.
