Mets Sweep Giants; Zack Wheeler Solid
While he still had a losing record for his career, Matt Cain agreed to a monster six-year, 127.5 million contract with the Giants. When he signed it just as the 2012 season was getting underway, it made Cain the highest-paid righthander in baseball history. Cain certainly is not earning his money this season and he especially did not against the Mets on Wednesday, when he could not get out of the first inning as the Mets swept the series from the reigning World Champions, who now sit in last place in the NL West.
The Mets were all over Cain from the outset. Eric Young led off the game with a walk. He promptly stole second and went to third when Buster Posey’s throw landed in center field. Daniel Murphy singled to make it a quick 1-0 game. After David Wright popped out, Ike Davis walked. Marlon Byrd struck out for the second out. Kirk Nieuwenhuis walked to load the bases. John Buck then singled to score two runs to make it 3-0 and chase Cain from the game. Michael Kickham came on and got the third out.
Cain has a 5.06 ERA to go along with a 5-6 record this season. He was never worth that contract.
Zack Wheeler, meantime, was the polar opposite of Cain. He did not allow a hit to the Giants until the fourth inning as he went up against the team that traded him for Carlos Beltran in 2011.
In the fifth inning following a Davis single, Marlon Byrd hit a home run to center field that just kept on carrying to make it 5-0. Byrd now has 15 home runs and 49 RBIs, both leading the team. Absolutely amazing.
Wheeler even excelled at the bat, doubling to center in the sixth inning to score Buck, who had also doubled to center, to make it 6-0. Murphy joined the double parade with one of his own to make it 7-0.
The Giants finally reached Wheeler in the seventh, scoring a run to make it 7-1.
Wheeler had his best outing since his debut — going seven innings, his longest among his five starts. He allowed just one run on three hits, striking out five and walking three. Wheeler extended his record to 3-1 and lowered his ERA to 3.54.
The Giants scored a run in the ninth to reduce the Mets win to 7-2. The Mets now have a four-game winning streak.