Keaton Winn sharp again and Michael Conforto homers against former team as Giants beat Mets 5-2

By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Michael Conforto homered against the team that drafted him in the first round a decade ago, helping to back rookie Keaton Winn’s latest stellar outing as the San Francisco Giants beat the New York Mets 5-2 on Monday night.

Nick Ahmed hit a two-run single in the second and Matt Chapman added a two-run double the next inning to support Winn (2-3). He struck out six while allowing four hits in six-plus innings, receiving a standing ovation when Ryan Walker relieved in the seventh after a leadoff walk to Francisco Lindor that was Winn’s lone free pass.

Winn pitched into the seventh for the first time since 2019 in Class A. The big ovation was a first, too.

“That felt really good. That was the first time that I’ve had that,” Winn said. “I can’t explain how good that felt, to feel like the city has your back. It was great.”

Pete Alonso homered leading off the fifth for New York — its first run in two days following a 10-0 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday. Camilo Doval’s wild pitch with one out in the ninth allowed another run before he retired Alonso on a grounder, walked Brett Baty and then got DJ Stewart on a groundout to end it.

Doval came in from the center-field bullpen to a dramatic new entrance that featured the ballpark lights going dark and a spotlight on the reliever as he ran to the mound.

“It looked like a movie,” he said. “I was like, ‘Wow.’”

Giants manager Bob Melvin didn’t get overly excited about the flashy addition, noting: “If he likes it, it’s fine, it’s great. If the fans like it, that’s what it’s all about.”

Conforto connected in the sixth for his fifth home run of the season. The Mets selected him 10th overall in the 2014 amateur draft out of Oregon State and he spent his first seven big league seasons with New York.

Winn made his 10th major league start and the right-hander has tossed at least four innings while allowing six or fewer hits in each of them. The 10 such outings match the second-longest streak by a Giants pitcher to begin his career since 1901 with Jeff Brantley (1988-89) and behind only Albert Suárez with 12 in 2016.

Mets left-hander Jose Quintana (1-2) permitted five runs on seven hits over five innings with four strikeouts and three walks.

Starling Marte stole his sixth base for the Mets in their second straight loss following a six-game winning streak. They were held to one extra-base hit for the eighth time this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Veteran slugger J.D. Martinez, who signed a $12 million, one-year contract late last month, will report to Triple-A Syracuse to be the designated hitter Tuesday with the hope he can make his Mets debut as soon as Friday at home against St. Louis. … RHP Tylor Megill (strained shoulder) will throw an up-and-down bullpen Tuesday in New York. LHP David Peterson (torn labrum in left hip) will pitch a simulated game in the coming days. … RHP Sean Reid-Foley returned from a stint on the 15-day injured list with an impingement in his pitching shoulder. He made three scoreless rehab appearances.

Giants: RHP Luke Jackson came off the 15-day IL after straining his lower back on opening day March 28 against San Diego. … The Giants optioned RHP Nick Avila to Triple-A Sacramento after Sunday’s game.

UP NEXT

RHP Luis Severino (2-1, 2.14 ERA) pitches the middle game of the series Tuesday night opposite Giants RHP Logan Webb (2-1, 2.93).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB