New York Post
· collected 2026-09-05 · by Mark W. Sanchez
A team heavily traded away at the deadline, the Giants, faced off against the Mets, who have surprisingly turned their season around since making significant roster changes. The Mets' victory was fueled by five home runs, including two from Francisco Alvarez, and a gritty performance from Nolan McLean, who pitched six innings despite allowing six hits and walking four batters. The team's 10-6 win over the Giants marks their 17th victory in 28 games since trading away several key players, improving their record to 64-77 on the season. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns expressed encouragement about the team's progress, citing continued growth from young players who will be part of the roster next year.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
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a team that had been dismantled at the trade deadline, clearly a shell of the postseason threat it aspired to be and a club that might not mind the losses mounting considering the draft implications.
right framing the Giants' situation in terms of 'dismantled', 'shell', and 'might not mind the losses'
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The 2026 Mets have been a similar and different team, respectively: a big-money bust that threw in the towel, wiped itself off and now is emerging as fresh-faced and competitive.
right framing the Mets' situation in terms of 'big-money bust' and 'threw in the towel'
Leaning score +0.35 for article 4584 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-05
At Citi Field on Friday was a team that had been dismantled at the trade deadline, clearly a shell of the postseason threat it aspired to be and a club that might not mind the losses mounting considering the draft implications.
uncertain
losses → dismantle → implications
That team faced the Mets, who have played their cleanest baseball in garbage time.
asserted
who → face → time
The Giants sold at the trade deadline, batted a player named Turner Hill cleanup in the series opener and are still bottoming out, 10-19 since offloading every piece they could.
uncertain
they → sell → piece
The 2026 Mets have been a similar and different team, respectively: a big-money bust that threw in the towel, wiped itself off and now is emerging as fresh-faced and competitive.
asserted
that → throw → itself
In a September matchup featuring two disappointments that are trending in opposite directions, the Mets used five home runs — two from Francisco Alvarez — and a gritty night from Nolan McLean to hold off the Giants, 10-6, in front of 29,377 who have been cheering for a team with more life since Aug. 3.
asserted
who → feature → Aug.
The Mets (64-77) are 13 games under .500 but 17-11 since unloading nearly the entirety of their bullpen plus Clay Holmes, Freddy Peralta and Tyrone Taylor.
asserted
Mets → unload → bullpen
Each victory brings them a bit closer to possible offseason frustration: Their first-round draft pick would be docked 10 spots (as it was last year) unless they are bad enough and lucky enough to land a top-six selection.
asserted
they → bring → selection
David Stearns would argue each victory brings them closer to the team they want to be.
asserted
they → argue → team
“I am encouraged by what we’ve seen,” the president of baseball operations said before the game.
asserted
president → encourage → game
“We’ve seen continued progression from a lot of players who are going to be here next year and for many years beyond.
asserted
who → see → years
“And that is very encouraging for me and I think lifts the organization as a whole as we head into an offseason and, ultimately, construct our team for ’27.”
asserted
we → think → 27
Somewhere in the front of their rotation next season will be McLean, who clearly has the stuff to be an ace but showed Friday that he can be effective without his top execution.
asserted
he → have → execution
The National League Rookie of the Year contender — who acknowledged he wants the award but is not focused on it — battled through six innings in which he somehow allowed two runs while letting up six hits and walking four.
asserted
he → acknowledge → four
“Lucky” was how McLean described his night after managing just two 1-2-3 innings — the second and sixth, the latter of which he punctuated with a fist-pump upon getting Christian Koss looking at strike three — and in each other frame he had to survive, the biggest struggle coming in the fifth.
asserted
struggle → describe → fifth
The Giants loaded the bases without an out, were a swing away from making a lopsided game interesting, but watched McLean strike out Jung Hoo Lee and induce a ground ball double play from Drew Cavanaugh on a play that Marcus Semien made a nice sliding grab and shovel pass to Francisco Lindor.
asserted
Semien → load → Lindor
“The thing about him that I have always appreciated,” interim manager Andy Green said, “is he can put himself into some nasty jams and then he finds a ridiculous amount of confidence to work his way out of it.”
asserted
he → appreciate → it
The Mets bullpen bent, notably when Rafael Devers clubbed a three-run home run against Austin Warren in the eighth.
But they had a cushion because the Mets’ attack racked up more home runs (five) than singles (four).
asserted
attack → bend → singles
Mark Vientos — reminding that even in a season plagued by injury and inconsistency, he can still crush lefties — continued his strong work off the injured list with a three-run shot against Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson in the first inning.
asserted
he → remind → inning
Alvarez and Bo Bichette added a pair in the second to help capsize Wilkinson.
asserted
Alvarez → add → Wilkinson
Lindor added a two-run shot in the sixth and Alvarez tacked on with his 15th of the year in the eighth.
asserted
Alvarez → add → eighth
“I just want to go out there and finish in the best possible way as I can, both offensively and defensively,” Alvarez, who is still trying, said through interpreter Alan Suriel.
asserted
who → want → Suriel
