Despite being sellers at the deadline, the Giants (now 55-55) showed resilience. All-Star left-hander Robbie Ray delivered a strong outing, surrendering just one run on a solo homer by Pete Alonso across seven innings. Alonso’s blast marked the 249th home run of his career, putting him just three behind Darryl Strawberry (252) for the all-time Mets franchise lead.
The Giants built an early 3-0 lead with RBI doubles from Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey, and a run-scoring groundout from Jung Hoo Lee. However, the Mets mounted a comeback, tying the game in the eighth inning behind an RBI single from Juan Soto and a sacrifice fly from Alonso. Both Francisco Lindor and Alonso contributed with hits in the same game for only the tenth time in their last 42 appearances together, but have collectively struggled at the plate during this span, batting just .191.
With the score knotted at three, the Giants called on Smith—a former Met himself—who delivered his first pinch-hit RBI of the season and the 24th of his career, driving in automatic runner Willy Adames in the 10th. In the bottom half, Randy Rodríguez, expected to take over closing duties after Doval’s departure, worked out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out Ronny Mauricio on a 100.1 mph fastball, earning his second career save and sealing the win.
This victory was not only a morale booster for San Francisco but also had playoff implications. The Mets, now on a four-game skid, dropped out of first place in the National League East, trailing the Phillies by half a game. For the Giants, the triumph was a reminder of their capability to win close games through pitching, defense, and timely hitting, even after substantial roster changes.
Looking ahead, the series continues with Giants lefty Carson Whisenhunt (0-0, 7.20 ERA) facing Mets right-hander Kodai Senga (7-3, 2.00 ERA) in the next matchup. For more details and stats, check the full game recap on ESPN.