Final Score: Mets 10, Giants 6 — Byrd's Blast Extinguishes Eerie Extras

The Mets' middle game in San Francisco began as a back and forth affair that made most fans fear another extra-inning slog was in the offing. Thankfully, that was not in the cards, and amazingly it was because the Mets managed to win in regulation by multiple runs.

The Giants drew first blood in the second inning by scoring twice on an errant Anthony Recker throw to second and a fielder's choice on which Daniel Murphy chose poorly. The Mets' bats were lulled to sleep by Barry Zito for the first few innings, but they drew even in the top of the fourth when they loaded the bases and scored two on an Andrew Brown single, then went ahead on an Omar Quintanilla RBI single. The Giants tied things up at three in the bottom on the fifth with a pair of singles, a sac bunt, and an RBI groundout, but the Mets grabbed the lead back in the top of the sixth with a two-run homer from Anthony Recker.

With the Mets' bullpen taxed, Gee was asked to eat some innings and came up with a case of indigestion. The Giants scratched out single runs against him in the bottom of the sixth and seventh to tie the game at 5. When the Mets bypassed a bases loaded one-out opportunity in the top of the seventh, the dreaded Extra Inning Debacle loomed large. But the Mets were given an identical run-scoring chance in the eighth and cashed in on a Murphy RBI sac fly in to retake the lead. After a walk loaded the bases anew, Marlon Byrd unloaded them by belting a grand slam to left field, a blast that thankfully made a Mets win all but inevitable, and another 16 inning game unnecessary.

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