3 Up, 3 Down: Late Heroics Seal Giants Series Win For Mets

All hail Bo Bichette of the New York Mets.

The third baseman conjured some late heroics on Sunday to guide the Mets to a win over the Giants in the series finale. Bichette’s clutch hit also sealed the series win.

The three-game set against San Francisco featured many positives and some negatives for the Mets, who are now 65-78 on the year.

With that, let’s recap everything from the Giants series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

BO KNOWS CLUTCH

Bo Bichette delivered a true statement moment on Sunday. The infielder has shown a prowess for coming through with runners in scoring position throughout his career. He flashed that ability once again in the series finale. At the plate with runners on the corners, two outs, and the Mets trailing 2-1, Bichette came up clutch with a three-run shot that turned the game on its head. As a result, Bichette’s heroics gave his team the lead for good. More importantly, the third baseman is looking more and more like a key piece who can contribute at a high level in 2027.

SLUMP BUSTER

A.J. Ewing appears to be waking up from his slumber. The rookie has been mired in one almighty tough patch, hitting .197 with no home runs over 46 games entering Saturday. Well, that cold streak ended with one thunderous swing of the bat in the middle game of the series. Ewing launched a 407-foot home run to show important signs of life. Furthermore, he also drew two walks before recording two hits and a run scored on Sunday. All rookies endure slumps. The fact thatEwing appears to be emerging from his slump is a huge positive for the Mets.

SHOWING HIS WORTH

Brett Baty‘s future with this team appears to be very much up in the air. However, he clearly isn’t going to give up without a fight. The super-utility player enjoyed a productive series, including recording three RBIs on Saturday. To be more exact, he drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, and came up with a two-run double in the ninth. In other words, Baty did his best to try to get his team back in the game. What happens next remains to be seen, but a strong finish to the season will only help Baty’s cause.

3 DOWN

MINOR HICCUP 

Let’s not overreact to Zac Thornton‘s rough start. Yes, the rookie was shelled on Saturday. He was rocked, allowing six runs on seven hits, including giving up four home runs. That’s hardly ideal, but again, all players will have off days, especially rookies. And, while the six earned runs reached a season-worst mark, Thornton did still strike out six batters. It is possible that some natural fatigue could be creeping in, too. All in all, while Saturday’s start was one to forget, it shouldn’t be overblown into something it isn’t.

SHINE WEARING OFF

Jefry Yan was a nice story when he was first called up. However, whether he can actually become an effective major league reliever remains to be seen. The latest evidence suggests not. Yan made two outings against the Giants, giving up a combined three earned runs on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. While the lefty is showing an ability to strike out hitters at a high rate, his command has always been an issue. Now optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, it remains to be seen if Yan will get back to the bigs.

GROWING DILEMMA 

How will the Mets handle Marcus Semien going forward? The veteran has not been good in his first year in Queens. While he’s shown some offensive consistency since the All-Star break, he’s also regressed again as of late. For instance, Semien went a combined 2-for-10 with one walk, one run scored, no extra-base hits, and no RBIs in the Giants series. Furthermore, he is no longer a sure thing defensively. With two more years left on his contract, Semien looks to be a concern that will carry over into spring training with no clear fix.