SAN FRANCISCO – The Mets started the road trip with bats thumping and finished it in similar fashion.
Francisco Lindor provided the heft on Wednesday, blasting two homers and driving in four runs in the Mets’ 8-2 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park that snapped a three-game losing streak.
It completed a 3-3 road trip for the Mets, who began with two straight victories over the Dodgers before losing their next three games (in which they combined to score all of three runs).
Lindor wasn’t alone in boosting the lineup: Tyrone Taylor, the Mets’ fourth outfielder, went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs to continue his impressive play for the club after arriving last offseason in a trade with the Brewers.
But nobody needed the afternoon more than Lindor, who had again been trending in the wrong direction after appearing to break out against the Dodgers over the first two games of that series.
Lindor, whose two-run blast in the third inning got the Mets started on this day, finished with three homers and eight RBIs on the trip.
Sean Manaea held the Giants scoreless, but was hardly efficient in throwing 101 pitches over 4 2/3 innings.
The left-hander, who pitched for the Giants last season, allowed four hits and walked four with six strikeouts before Reed Garrett entered to get the final out in the fifth.
Garrett pitched two innings and allowed one run. Adam Ottavino and Edwin Diaz got the Mets through the final 2 1/3 innings.
In the six games on the trip, Luis Severino was the only Mets starter to give the team six innings. Manaea has four straight starts of five innings or fewer.
But the Mets have received results from a bullpen that entered the day with the best ERA in the National League at 2.99.
The Giants opted for a bullpen game, with scheduled starter Blake Snell scratched with a left adductor strain and placed on the injured list.
Ryan Walker was recalled from Triple-A and served as the opener.
Manaea loaded the bases with nobody out in the second on walks to Jorge Soler and Patrick Bailey with Matt Chapman’s single sandwiched in between before retiring three straight batters without a run scoring.
Manaea walked Austin Slater and Wilmer Flores in succession to begin the third, but again escaped. Slater was picked off second base and Michael Conforto struck out before Soler was retired.
Lindor’s two-run homer in the third gave the Mets a 2-0 lead. Lindor jumped on an 0-2 slider and just cleared the high wall in right field. Brandon Nimmo was on base after drawing a walk with one out.
Lindor’s blast gave the Mets their first lead in the series.
Taylor homered leading off the fourth to extend the Mets’ lead to 3-0.
It was the second homer of the season for Taylor, who started in right field, allowing Starling Marte to DH.
In the fifth Taylor struck again, smashing a two RBI double after the Mets had started a rally with two outs. Pete Alonso singled and Brett Baty walked ahead of Taylor’s shot to right-center.
Jeff McNeil’s ensuing RBI single buried the Giants in a 6-0 hole.
Tyler Fitzgerald homered against Garrett leading off the seventh to end the Mets’ shutout bid. It was the first earned run allowed this season by Garrett, who has emerged as a key piece of the Mets’ bullpen.
Lindor unloaded with a two-run blast in the ninth that extended the Mets’ lead to 8-1.
Alonso’s errant flip to Diaz covering first base in the ninth allowed the Giants to score an unearned run.