SAN FRANCISCO — The bats broke out and Nolan McClain took control, but the Mets’ Friday night was decided by who wasn’t on the field after his first at-bat.
Juan Soto, who was bothered by right calf tightness, left after just half an inning, leaving the Mets wondering when their best player would return.
Soto singled in the first inning and appeared to pull between second and third base while leading off a Bo Bichette RBI single. Now the Mets, who snapped a three-game skid with a 10-3 win over the Giants, await their $765 million player.
Maclin pitched a perfect game in the sixth inning but never escaped the inning, his shot in history being spoiled by impatient bats as the pitch count rose.
He lasted 5¹/₃ innings and allowed two runs, one unearned, on one hit and two walks on four strikeouts and left after 93 pitches.
Francisco Alvarez led the Mets’ three-man attack with two blasts (Marcus Semien hit the other) in the Mets’ best offensive showing in 11 innings against the Pirates on Opening Day. Alvarez’s pitch for a three-run home run included a hit on the warning track into center field in the eighth inning.
The perfect game officially began with McLean leading off the fifth, easily retiring Matt Chapman and Jung Ho Lee before making a full count to Heliot Ramos. McLean unleashed a mighty sweeper that crashed into the inside corner for a third strike.
McLean took the mound for sixth with a 67-pitch pitch and walked Harrison Bader, reducing the pursuit of perfection to a hitless hour. Maclin worked the count full to Patrick Bailey and walked him, giving the Giants a walk. Jerar Encarnacion struck out nine pitches before flying out and Willie Adams ended the no-hit drama, and McLean’s night, with a shot that one-hoped over the fence in right-center for an RBI double.
Brooks struck out Rafael Devers’ rally, but before the left fielder could escape the inning, Alvarez’s passed ball for the second run allowed the Giants to score.
The Mets responded in the seventh inning with Alvarez’s second homer of the night and an RBI single by Luis Robert Jr. that extended the lead to 7-2. Mark Vientos kept the party going with an RBI single in the inning.
Bichette was among the offensive heroes with a 3-for-5 performance in easily his best game since arriving to the Mets. The team was without Jorge Polanco, whose left Achilles tendonitis put him on the bench and raised questions about his near-term availability. Polanco has dealt with the upset since Sunday, limiting him to the DH spot.
The Mets sent eight hits to the plate against Tyler Mahle in the first inning and scored twice, but missed a chance to open the game early. Bichette delivered an RBI single and Robert walked to reload the bases before Brett Baty hit a homer that turned into a 1-2-3 double play.
But Semien, who had gone 0-for-20 the night before, smashed an RBI single after a walk to Ventus, extending the Mets’ lead to 2-0. The rally began with back-to-back singles by Francisco Lindor and Soto.
Semien struck again in the fourth inning with a two-run homer to center field that gave the Mets a 4-0 lead. The blast was Semien’s first in a Mets uniform. Two strikes later, Alvarez cleared the center field fence.
Ramos’ single in the seventh inning against Huascar Brazopan gave the Giants their second hit. Brazoban recovered to retire Bader, ending the inning.
Luis Arraez delivered an RBI single in the eighth against Richard Lovelady before Baty hit an RBI double in the ninth inning. An RBI fielder’s choice for Carson Benge brought in a 10th inning run for the Mets.