SAN FRANCISCO — Extra, extra, it’s nine innings or bust for the Mets.
For the third time in four games, the Mets and Giants played into extra innings Sunday. And like in the previous two instances, the Mets cracked, wasting a strong pitching performance.
Mike Yastrzemski’s walk-off homer against Robert Gsellman in the 12th inning sunk the Mets in a 3-2 loss at Oracle Park that pushed them nine games below .500.
“We have got to hit better,” Michael Conforto said after the Mets completed a 5-4 trip that also included stops in Miami and Minnesota. “Really, what it comes down to is the bullpen has stepped up, they have done a good job for us over the last seven games and the hitters have let us down.”
That bullpen pitched five innings scoreless behind Steven Matz before Gsellman cracked in the 12th. Gsellman, in his second inning of work, recorded one out before Yastrzemski hit a shot to left field that kept carrying until it cleared the fence.
“It was right where I wanted it, but maybe I should have got it down a little more,” Gsellman said. “I thought it was a pop-up, but once it gets in the air and in the wind it just keeps going.”
Manager Mickey Callaway used Edwin Diaz for the 10th inning and said his closer would have returned to pitch the 11th if it were a save situation.
These two teams played for nearly five hours Thursday, when rookie Chris Mazza allowed two runs in the bottom of the 16th after Pete Alonso had homered in the top of the inning to put the Mets ahead 2-1. On Friday, the Giants scored the only run of the game against Jacob Rhame in the 10th inning when Dominic Smith dropped Alex Dickerson’s pop-up to left field.
Overall, the Giants have won 15 of their past 18 games to jump into NL wild-card contention. The Mets (45-54) had carried a four-game winning streak into town that had briefly pumped life into their season. But the three extra-inning losses took a toll.
“You win one of them, you go home 6-3 on the road trip and you’re feeling really good about yourself on the off day,” Callaway said. “It’s really tough.”
Jeff McNeil endured a rare silent day at the plate for the Mets, finishing 0-for-5. It was only the fourth time this season McNeil finished hitless in five at-bats. Todd Frazier struck out four times before reaching on an infield single in the 12th inning.
Seth Lugo was booed as he left the mound after getting the final out in the eighth. The right-hander had thrown a pitch over Buster Posey’s head before drilling the Giants catcher with his next offering. Lugo also pitched a scoreless ninth before Diaz worked a perfect 10th.
Matz received a no-decision after allowing two earned runs on six hits with one walk over six innings. It was Matz’s best start (in terms of runs that scored) since May 28, when he allowed two runs over six innings in a win at Dodger Stadium.
Matz surrendered an RBI double to Zach Green in the fourth that tied it 2-2. Posey had opened the inning with a double before Green, who had collected his first MLB hit in his previous at-bat, delivered.
Brandon Crawford had brought the Giants within 2-1 in the second with an RBI single that scored Posey. It was Green’s single in the inning that moved Posey into scoring position.
Conforto and Amed Rosario each delivered a solo homer in the second against lefty Conner Menez in his major league debut, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. Conforto’s blast was a “splash hit” that reached McCovey Cove beyond the high right-field wall. Two batters later, Rosario cleared the left-field fence for his 11th homer of the season.
“That is a quality team over there,” Alonso said. “We were right there with them and it was just unfortunate we didn’t come out on the winning end.”