Giants Now MLB-best 42-21, Mets' Skid 6
As fans filed out of AT&T Park and into a sunny San Francisco afternoon, they serenaded the home team with chants of "Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!"
The tune has become a familiar sound here this season - and it's only June.
Gregor Blanco doubled, singled and drove in three runs, and the surging San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets 6-4 on Sunday for their fifth straight win.
"There's nothing I can complain about," manager Bruce Bochy said.
The Giants completed their fourth sweep of the season. They've won 14 of 17 games to build baseball's
best record at 42-21, and they own a 9 1/2 game lead over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Even those on the 2012 and 2010 World Series teams can't remember a regular-season roll like this.
"We're going to ride it out, ride the wave," said Tim Lincecum, who allowed two home runs to Curtis Granderson in six innings. "It's fun to be a part of."
San Francisco has done it behind a deeper lineup, which was evident again in its latest victory.
Blanco gave Angel Pagan a day off in center field. Hector Sanchez started at catcher for All-Star Buster Posey. Offseason addition Michael Morse played first base for Brandon Belt, who is on the disabled list with a broken left thumb. And Brandon Hicks started at second base, as he has most of the season for the injured Marco Scutaro.
Morse, Hicks and Brandon Crawford each drove in a run for the Giants, who chased Zack Wheeler in the fourth. Wheeler (2-6) gave up four runs and six hits.
"The club is getting contributions from everybody," Bochy said. "Last year, it seemed like your hope is through the heart of the order and then you have to wait for them to come back around."
Granderson's two long balls provided the biggest highlights for the Mets, who have lost a season-high six straight. Lincecum (5-4) allowed six hits, struck out six and walked one in six innings.
Four relievers held the Mets to one run in two innings before Sergio Romo recorded his 20th save in 22 chances.
"It's tough to keep losing by one or two runs," Wheeler said. "But we're at least keeping them close and on the edge of winning games by one or two runs."
The Giants overcame deficits against the mistake-prone Mets in all three games.
Following the pattern that played out all weekend, Granderson drove a 3-0 pitch over the wall in center to give New York a 2-0 lead in the first. He hit his eighth homer of the season in the sixth and doubled in the eighth.
The Mets might have scored more if Matt den Dekker had not been caught stealing third in the first.
Blanco's two-run double capped a three-run second for the Giants. Morse drove in another run to give San Francisco a 4-2 lead when he grounded into a double play in the third.
"We do have confidence," Blanco said. "Anytime we see ourselves losing a game, for some reason, we step it up. For some reason, we get mad and things start happening."
Lincecum singled in the fourth for his first hit of the year. That also ended the afternoon for Wheeler, who gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Granderson started to bring the Mets back with a solo shot over the wall in right and into McCovey Cove in the sixth. It was his 15th multihomer game and first since Oct. 3, 2012, while playing with the Yankees against Boston.
After Blanco's RBI single in the seventh, Granderson doubled in the eighth, putting Daniel Murphy in position to score from third on Jean Machi's wild pitch. Machi got Chris Young to fly out with Granderson on third to keep the Giants ahead.
Brandon Hicks singled home another run for San Francisco in the eighth.
NOTES: Mets 3B David Wright was out of the starting lineup for the first time all season. He struck out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh. ... San Francisco opens a four-game home series against Washington on Monday, sending Ryan Vogelsong (4-2, 3.39 ERA) to the mound opposite Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg (5-4, 3.10). ... The Mets have Monday off before beginning a three-game series against Milwaukee on Tuesday in New York.
Updated June 8, 2014
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