SAN FRANCISCO — The bats erupted and Nolan McLean dominated, but Friday night was defined for the Mets by who wasn’t on the field following his first at-bat.
Juan Soto, bothered by right-calf tightness, departed after only a half-inning, leaving the Mets to wonder when their best player will return.
Soto singled in the first inning and appeared to pull up between second and third base while advancing on a Bo Bichette RBI single. Now, the Mets, who snapped a three-game skid with a 10-3 victory over the Giants, wait on their $765 million outfielder.
McLean took a perfect game into the sixth but never escaped the inning, his shot at history spoiled by patient at-bats as his pitch count climbed.
He lasted 5 ¹/₃ innings and allowed two runs, one unearned, on one hit and two walks with four strikeouts and departed after 93 pitches.
Francisco Alvarez led the Mets’ three-homer attack with two blasts (Marcus Semien hit the other) in the Mets’ best showing offensively since their 11-run outburst against the Pirates on Opening Day. Alvarez’s bid at a three-homer game included a shot to the warning track in center field in the eighth inning.
The perfect game watch officially began as McLean breezed through the fifth, easily retiring Matt Chapman and Jung Hoo Lee before working the count full to Heliot Ramos. McLean unleashed a hellacious sweeper that nicked the inside corner for a called third strike.
McLean took the mound for the sixth at 67 pitches and walked Harrison Bader, reducing the quest for perfection to a no-hit watch. McLean worked the count full to Patrick Bailey and walked him, giving the Giants a rally. Jerar Encarnacion worked a nine pitch at-bat before flying out and Willy Adames ended the no-hit drama, and McLean’s night, with a shot that one-hopped the fence in right center for an RBI double.
Brooks Raley struck out Rafael Devers, but before the lefty could escape the inning an Alvarez passed ball allowed the Giants’ second run to score.
The Mets countered in the seventh with Alvarez’s second homer of the night and an RBI single by Luis Robert Jr. that extended the lead to 7-2. Mark Vientos continued the party with an RBI single in the inning.
Bichette was among the offensive heroes with a 3-for-5 performance in easily his best game since arriving to the Mets. The team was without Jorge Polanco, whose left Achilles tendinitis placed him on the bench and raised questions about his near-term availability. Polanco has dealt with discomfort since Sunday, limiting him to the DH spot.
The Mets sent eight batters to the plate against Tyler Mahle in the first inning and scored twice, but missed an opportunity to break open the game early. Bichette delivered an RBI single and Robert walked to reload the bases before Brett Baty hit a comebacker that turned into a 1-2-3 double play.
But Semien, who snapped an 0-for-20 a night earlier, slashed an RBI single following a walk to Vientos, extending the Mets’ lead to 2-0. The rally started with consecutive singles by Francisco Lindor and Soto.
Semien struck again in the fourth with a two-run homer to center that gave the Mets a 4-0 lead. The blast was Semien’s first in a Mets uniform. Two batters later, Alvarez cleared the center field fence.
Ramos’ single in the seventh against Huascar Brazobán gave the Giants their second hit. Brazobán recovered to retire Bader, ending the inning.
Luis Arraez delivered a bloop RBI single in the eighth against Richard Lovelady before Baty stroked an RBI double in the ninth. Carson Benge’s RBI fielder’s choice brought in the Mets’ 10th run.
