New York Mets vs San Francisco Giants Box Score on Jun 25, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jun 25, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO -- Catcher Rene Rivera hit two home runs and made a key defensive play Sunday, leading the New York Mets to an 8-2 victory and a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants.

Right-hander Rafael Montero limited the Giants to one run in 5 2/3 innings for his second career win, helping the Mets record their second road sweep of the season and first in San Francisco since 2013.

Rivera, who began the day with just three homers, smacked a two-run shot in the second inning and a solo blast in the fourth, both off Giants left-hander Matt Moore.

The multiple-homer game was the first of Rivera's career and the 15th by a Met this season.

Jay Bruce added a two-run homer in the eighth inning and Curtis Granderson hit a solo shot in the ninth, increasing the Mets' total of road home runs this season to a major league-best 68.

The four homers gave the Mets 46 in June, a franchise record for a single month. New York still has four games remaining in the month.

Montero (1-4), who was making his 15th career start, was supported by an error-free defense and a potential rally-killing play by Rivera while protecting a lead his teammates had given him in the top of the first inning.

He allowed five hits and two walks in his 104-pitch outing in improving his career record to 2-9. Montero struck out a season-best seven.

After the Giants had scored on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Buster Posey to get within 3-1 in the third, Montero caught a break when Rivera threw out Hunter Pence trying to steal second base with San Francisco's leading home run hitter, Brandon Belt, at the plate with a full count.

The out ended the inning, stranding Joe Panik at third base.

Five New York relievers picked up Montero with 3 1/3 innings of four-hit ball.

Bruce and Rivera finished with three RBIs apiece for the Mets, who have hit 27 home runs in their last 14 games.

Bruce, Rivera, Granderson, Asdrubal Cabrera, Wilmer Flores, Lucas Duda and T.J. Rivera had two hits apiece for New York, which outhit the Giants 14-9.

The Mets stranded 15 baserunners, the Giants eight.

Moore (3-8) was pulled after 4 1/3 innings, having allowed five runs and seven hits. He walked two and struck out five.

Denard Span and Pence had two hits apiece for the Giants, who lost their fifth in a row and 12th in their last 13 games.

Posey drove in the two Giants runs with a sacrifice fly and an infield out.

NOTES: The Mets' previous record for home runs in a month was 45, tied set initially in August 2015 and tied in August 2016. ... Mets LF Michael Conforto left the game in the sixth inning after having been hit by a pitch on the left hand. X-rays taken during the game were negative. ... The Mets announced before the game that OF Tim Tebow had been promoted from Low-A Columbia to Advanced-A St. Lucie. The former football-playing Heisman Trophy winner hit .222 with three home runs and 23 RBIs in 212 at-bats at Columbia. ... Giants LF Austin Slater was removed from the game in the seventh inning after experiencing tightness in his right hip flexor. ... Giants RHP Hunter Strickland returned to the active roster Sunday after serving his six-game suspension for his involvement in a fight with Washington Nationals RF Bryce Harper on May 29. He served up CF Curtis Granderson's home run ... The Mets are off Monday before beginning a three-game series at Miami. ... The Giants continue a six-game homestand Monday night with the first of three against the Colorado Rockies.