Pederson crushes three homers, Crawford walkoff over Mets ends losing streak

Joc Pederson was sitting on two homers as he stepped to the plate to face Mets reliever Drew Smith in the eighth inning with his team trailing 11-8. The Giants (23-19) had led 8-2 at one point, but blew the lead in the eighth.

Known for clutch hits in big moments, Pederson destroyed a middle-in fastball and cranked it into McCovey Cove for his third homer of the game, tying things at 11-11 and electrifying Oracle Park. Pederson followed his homer with a batter’s box pose before pointing into the dugout to start his trot.

After the Mets (29-16) went ahead again in the ninth, Pederson roped his fourth RBI hit of the night into center to once again knot the score at 12-12. Brandon Crawford followed with a walkoff single to win the game, a squibber that snuck into left field to snap San Francisco’s five-game losing streak and get past the Mets 13-12 Tuesday night at Oracle Park.

This story will be updated with quotes and post-game material from the Giants clubhouse at Oracle Park.

Manager Gabe Kapler called Pederson’s overpowering night one of the best offensive performances he’s ever witnessed:

Let’s just try to get to Joc. That’s how we were thinking – not like we had any control over our ability to get to Joc, but that felt like the mission.”

Pederson credits his offensive explosion to a conversation with all-time home run leader Barry Bonds. Pederson, who grew up in Palo Alto adoring Bonds, spent a good chunk of his pregame conversing with the Giants legend. When he checked the clock and it read 6:25 p.m., Pederson said his first instinct wasn’t to rush, it was to relax:

It kind of shows if you’ve watched his career and how he’d get one pitch a game and (he was) able to stay locked in for every other at bat. Just understanding his mindset, how to focus on that and have no distractions. Just the way he explains it just made a lot of sense.”

With a seemingly safe lead, the Giants collapsed completely in the eighth when the Mets scored seven unanswered runs, all charged to setup man Tyler Rogers.

New York shortstop Francisco Lindor was the catalyst all night long, going 2-for-4 with six RBI, including a two-run homer and a bases-loaded triple that lifted the Mets into the lead in the eighth.

Over their five-game losing streak, the Giants couldn’t find their rhythm offensively. They scored three or fewer runs in four of the five losses and failed to consistently hit the long-ball they so heavily relied on last season.

San Francisco changed the narrative on by crushing four homers – three by Pederson.

After center fielder Mike Yastrzemski drew a one-out walk in the third, Pederson – in the midst of a 5-for-50 slump at the plate – cranked a two-run homer in his second at-bat against New York’s best healthy starter right now, right-hander Chris Bassitt. Pederson posed for a second after initial contact, admiring his eighth homer of the year. The blast soared well over the tall right field wall – an estimated 363 feet – to give the Giants a 3-1 lead.

Up 6-2 vin the fifth, Pederson muscled a 2-0 fastball on the outer half for his second homer of the game. He showcased the same pose to add authenticity to the majestic shot to straightaway center, another two-run blast to put the Giants up by six.

Pederson raced to a hot start this season but slowed down significantly at the plate in May, despite showing signs of a possible breakout. With an average exit velocity slightly over 94 mph, he hits the ball among the hardest in baseball. Injuries to key left-handed hitters Brandon Belt and LaMonte Wade Jr. have underscored Pederson’s importance against right-handed pitching, especially tough ones.

Pederson wasn’t the only Giant left-handed hitter with important swings Tuesday.

Tommy La Stella, in the DH slot Tuesday, has seen the ball well after missing 33 games with right achilles inflammation. After Luis Gonzalez tripled and Michael Papierski walked, La Stella roped a homer to right to make it 6-1, giving Webb a solid cushion to on the mound.

Injuries over the past week have strained a Giants lineup known for its depth. Adding La Stella’s bat is a bright spot, showing how San Francisco can mix and match at the top of their order. La Stella has now launched two homers since being activated – a clear display of the power heavily valued by the Giants when they signed him before the 2021 campaign.

The Giants were all over Bassitt, an arm the Mets are expecting to step up with Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom currently on the injured list. Bassitt’s final line: 4-1/3 innings, 8 hits, 8 runs, 3 walks and four strikeouts. He allowed all three San Francisco homers.

Logan Webb has been up and down this season, but his stuff appeared a lot more crisp against a confident Mets lineup. In five innings, Webb allowed five hits and two earned runs while striking out six.

Jeff McNeil roped a leadoff double to begin the second, setting the table for the Mets to capitalize on an infield single from Eduardo Escobar on a grounder where second baseman Thairo Estrada double-clutched and threw late to first. A batter late, Mark Canha knocked in a run with a single to center to put the Mets out front 1-0.&

The only noticeable flaw from Webb was velocity on his sinker. A pitch Webb threw last postseason at 96-97 mph was coming in around roughly 90-92-mph.

Reliever Dominic Leone’s struggles continue, especially against left-handed hitters. Entering the game lefties were 7-for-15 against Leone with five doubles and a homer. The misfortune continued with a two-run dinger to Lindor – already responsible for a fifth inning sacrifice fly – in the seventh to make it 8-4.

With the game tied after Pederson’s third homer, Dominic Smith delivered one final blow to the Giants in the ninth with a leadoff triple. He later scored on a sac fly, making it 12-11 before San Francisco walked off.

Up Next

San Francisco turns to Jakob Junis (1-1-, 2.70 ERA) to make the start in Wednesday’s series finale against the Mets. Junis is coming off a no-decision against San Diego, in which he allowed four earned runs across six innings of work. First pitch is 12:45 p.m.

Notes

The win extends Webb’s win streak at Oracle Park to 18 straight home starts, tying left-hander Atlee Hammaker‘s `1982-83 streak for the franchise record. Hammaker achieved this streak during the 1982-83 seasons. … The Giants promoted top pitching prospect Kyle Harrison to Double-A Richmond on Tuesday morning. The 20-year-old left-hander is ranked as the club’s second-best prospect according to MLB.com and has been one of the best strikeout pitchers in the minors since he was drafted in 2020. In 30 starts across two seasons between Singe-A and High-A, Harrison has pitched to a 2.82 ERA in 127-2/3 innings of work with 216 strikeouts – averaging a whopping 15.2 K/9. … Third baseman Evan Longoria had the day off and is dealing with slight left shoulder discomfort after diving on Monday night. It’s the same shoulder he injured last season in a collision with shortstop Brandon Crawford. Kevin Padlo played third base and hit eighth.

Steven Rissotto

Steven Rissotto has covered the San Francisco Giants for SFBay since 2021. He is the host of RizzoCast, a baseball interview show featuring players, coaches, media and fans. He attends San Francisco State University and will major in Journalism and minor in education.