After 20 games in 20 days, 11 straight on the road and six consecutive losses, the New York Mets are ready to rest up and return home.
Curtis Granderson hit two homers as the Mets lost again Sunday, 6-4 at the San Francisco Giants. The Mets have Monday off before beginning a three-game series against Milwaukee on Tuesday in New York.
"We're tired. We're beat up a little bit. It will be good for us to get a day, catch our breath and go back at it," manager Terry Collins said.
Granderson provided the biggest highlights for the Mets, tagging Tim Lincecum (5-4) with two homers. New York led in all three games of the series — and lost them all.
"That's part of a road trip," Granderson said. "You're going up against teams playing well. Timing is part of it. We didn't do the little things at the beginning of a game, the middle of the game or the end of the game. We've done a lot of things to put ourselves in position where one swing of the bat can put us over."
Gregor Blanco doubled, singled and drove in three runs for the Giants, who have built baseball's best record at 42-21. They also own a 9 1/2 game lead over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
Even those on the 2012 and 2010 World Series teams can't remember a regular-season roll like this.
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"We're going to ride it out, ride the wave," said Lincecum, who allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. "It's fun to be a part of."
Michael Morse, Brandon Hicks and Brandon Crawford also drove in a run for the Giants, who chased Zack Wheeler in the fourth. Wheeler (2-6) gave up four runs and six hits.
Four relievers held the Mets to one run in two innings before Sergio Romo recorded his 20th save in 22 chances.
"It's tough to keep losing by one or two runs," Wheeler said. "But we're at least keeping them close and on the edge of winning games by one or two runs."
The Giants took advantage of the Mets' mistakes in all three games.
Following the pattern that played out all weekend, Granderson drove a 3-0 pitch over the wall in center to give New York a 2-0 lead in the first. He hit his eighth homer of the season in the sixth and doubled in the eighth.
The Mets might have scored more if Matt den Dekker had not been caught stealing third in the first.
Blanco's two-run double capped a three-run second for the Giants. Morse drove in another run to give San Francisco a 4-2 lead when he grounded into a double play in the third.
Lincecum singled in the fourth for his first hit of the year. That also ended the afternoon for Wheeler, who gave up four runs and six hits in 3 2-3 innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Granderson started to bring the Mets back with a solo shot over the wall in right and into McCovey Cove in the sixth. It was his 15th multihomer game and first since Oct. 3, 2012, while playing with the Yankees against Boston.
After Blanco's RBI single in the seventh, Granderson doubled in the eighth, allowing Daniel Murphy to score from third on Jean Machi's wild pitch. Machi got Chris Young to fly out with Granderson on third to keep the Giants ahead.
Hicks singled home another run for San Francisco in the eighth.
"They don't have any quit in them," Granderson said. "They continue to fight for 27 outs. Anyone in that lineup can hurt you."
