SAN FRANCISCO — Steven Matz’s deserved win never came, but the Mets at least honored the lefty’s performance Saturday afternoon by rallying late. Real late.
Todd Frazier atoned for an earlier base-running miscue, delivering a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning that scored the go-ahead run in the Mets’ 2-1 victory over the Giants at AT&T Park.
Wilmer Flores smacked a leadoff double in the 11th against Hunter Strickland and scored the winning run on a day the Mets managed just seven hits in 11 innings. But that was still better than the Giants, who totaled only three hits against Matz, Seth Lugo, Jerry Blevins and Robert Gsellman.
Matz gave the Mets a second straight brilliant performance, allowing one earned run on three hits over seven innings in which he struck out a career-high 11 batters. Over his past three starts, Matz owns a 1.89 ERA but has two no-decisions and a loss during that stretch.
“I just felt I could do what I wanted with the baseball,” Matz said. “[Tomas] Nido back there was real good, too. We got into a real good rhythm and he called a great game, so it was a good day.”
Matz’s strength, according to manager Mickey Callaway, was throwing his fastball inside to right-handed hitters.
“Today was a little bit different because I thought he had way above average offspeed stuff as well,” Callaway said. “Probably better than he’s had all year, so that led to the strikeout totals.”
Matz’s gem continued a dominant stretch by Mets starting pitchers, who have posted a 1.67 ERA over their last 13 games. That includes previously struggling Jason Vargas, who has given the Mets three straight solid outings.
“They went through another stretch early in the season where they dominated and now we’re doing it again,” Callaway said.
Nido tied it 1-1 in the sixth with an RBI double against Derek Holland after Brandon Nimmo had walked. The hit was Nido’s first in seven at-bats since returning to the Mets from Double-A Binghamton last week. Nido also singled in the seventh inning against reliever Sam Dyson.
Frazier ran the Mets out of an inning in the sixth, when he was nailed after taking the turn at third base on Michael Conforto’s infield single.
Evan Longoria homered leading off the fourth to give the Giants their run against Matz. The homer was the 21st allowed by Matz in 25 starts this season.
Matz’s most dominant inning was the second, when he struck out the side, catching all three batters — Brandon Belt, Hunter Pence and Alen Hanson — looking at strike three.
