The New York Mets welcomed the combination of Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez for the first time, but the San Francisco Giants looked at it and laughed. It took just two batters for them to get a lead they would not surrender and cruised to an easy 8-0 victory in game one of their series.
Turn two. ? @javy23baez ?? @Lindor12BC pic.twitter.com/y8tZDp5P8t
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 24, 2021
Tylor Megill did not have his good stuff early on, leading to the ugliest start of his young career. He allowed seven runs on 11 hits, including those four homers, and only lasted 3.2 innings. Megill allowed a first-inning homer to Brandon Belt, a 451-foot homer to Mike Yastrzemski in the second inning, and homers to LaMonte Wade and Belt again during the fourth inning.
Throughout the start, Megill looked like he was pitching with a lack of confidence. It showed the most when Megill assumed a ground ball to Pete Alonso would become a base hit. Megill broke towards home plate to back up instead of making a move to cover first base.
New Day, Same Offense
Sammy Long looked the complete opposite against the horrid Mets offense, but then again, what pitcher has not? Long complete 5.1 shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out four. He had the Mets guessing all night with his ability to throw his changeup and slow looping curve at any time. Long even threw a nasty changeup to Baez, making him look like he had never swung a bat before.
The loss was about what you would expect when the best team in baseball plays a team that has barely been better than the Baltimore Orioles this month. On Wednesday, they will try to rebound when Taijuan Walker takes the mound against Johnny Cueto, making his first start off the IL. The first pitch from Citi Field is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.