Aug 18, 2016; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) run the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the New York Mets in the fourth inning at AT&T Park. Photo Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner came to his own rescue with a two-run home run to cap a five-run fourth inning Thursday night, helping the San Francisco Giants outslug the New York Mets 10-7 in the opener of a four-game series.
Eduardo Nunez had four hits and three RBIs for the Giants (67-54), who moved seven games ahead of the Mets (60-61) in the National League wild-card race while also edging within a half-game of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers (67-53) in the NL West.
Bumgarner served up a grand slam to Mets center fielder Justin Ruggiano in the top of the fourth inning, putting the Giants, who entered the game on a four-game losing streak, in a 4-0 hole.
However, Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence singled off Mets starter Jacob deGrom in the bottom of the fourth, Pence knocking in a run. Nunez then tripled home a pair to get with the Giants back within 4-3.
One out later, Bumgarner put the Giants on top for good when he took deGrom into the first row of the left field bleachers for a 5-4 lead.
The Giants increased the margin to 8-4 in the fifth inning on singles by Crawford and Pence, an RBI single by Nunez and a two-run double by Joe Panik.
DeGrom (7-6) was pulled after the fifth, having been roughed up for season highs in runs (eight) and hits (13). His ERA, fifth best in baseball entering the game at 2.30, ballooned to 2.73. He walked one and struck out five.
Bumgarner (12-7) also turned the ball over to the bullpen after five innings. His ERA, the second best in the majors at the game’s first pitch, went from 2.11 to 2.25 after he allowed four runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out six.
The Mets rallied within 8-7 with a three-run sixth, getting a two-run triple from Ty Kelly and a run-scoring infield out from pinch hitter Rene Rivera.
However, Giants relievers Will Smith, Derek Law, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo and Santiago Casilla shut the door from there, limiting the Mets to three hits in the final three scoreless innings.
Casilla worked a one-hit ninth for his 28th save.
The Giants padded the lead in the eighth on a two-run double by Posey off Addison Reed.
Crawford and Denard Span had three hits apiece for the Giants, who won for just the second time in seven games on their current homestand.
Bumgarner, Panik and Posey drove in two runs each.
Ruggiano, reinstated from the disabled list earlier in the day, finished with three hits and two runs for the Mets, who fell for the 20th time in 33 games since the All-Star break.
Kelly had two hits and two RBIs, and T.J. Rivera and Travis d’Arnaud added a pair of hits apiece for New York.
The Giants out-hit the Mets 17-13.
Bumgarner hadn’t given up a run to the Mets in his previous two starts dating back to 2013 before allowing four on one swing of Ruggiano’s bat in the fourth inning.
The grand slam, the second of Ruggiano’s career, followed the first of Rivera’s hits and a pair of one-out walks.
But the 4-0 lead didn’t last long as the Giants teed off on deGrom for eight runs in the next two innings, starting with their five-run fourth.
Bumgarner’s homer, which put the Giants in front 5-4 in the fourth, was his third of the season, tying the lefty with the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard for the major league lead among pitchers.
NOTES: The matchup of Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner and Mets RHP Jacob deGrom was the first since the All-Star break of pitchers ranked in the top five in the majors in ERA. The last time such a matchup occurred in the second half of a season was last year, when deGrom squared off with Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Zack Greinke on July 26. … The Giants placed RHP Matt Cain (sore lower back) on the 15-day disabled list and reinstated RHP Cory Gearrin from the DL. Cain was the losing pitcher in the Giants’ 6-5 setback to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday. … The Mets also made a roster move Wednesday, reinstating OF Justin Ruggiano (strained left hamstring) from the DL and demoting RHP Gabriel Ynoa to Triple-A Las Vegas. … Mets manager Terry Collins disclosed before the game that he’s planning to activate LF Yoenis Cespedes (strained right quad) and SS Asdrubal Cabrera (strained left knee) from the DL on Friday.
