Mauricio and Soto lead Mets past Giants 5-3 for 7th straight win

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ronny Mauricio and Juan Soto homered in the seventh inning, and the New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Sunday to match a season best with their seventh straight win.

Mauricio had a career-high four hits, going 4 for 4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a tying homer from the bottom spot in the batting order. Jeff McNeil also doubled twice to help the Mets complete a three-game sweep and extend their NL East lead to 1 1/2 games over Philadelphia.

Matt Chapman hit two homers and drove in all three runs for the Giants, who loaded the bases in the ninth on two walks and a hit batter. Edwin Díaz struck out Willy Adames and Chapman to end it.

The Mets, who also had a seven-game winning streak in April, trailed 3-2 following Chapman’s second homer, a two-run drive off starter Kodai Senga in the fifth.

Mauricio tied it when the rookie drove a 1-0 slider from All-Star reliever Randy Rodríguez (3-2) into McCovey Cove leading off the seventh. After Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor struck out, Soto hit his team-leading 25th home run to left, giving the Mets a 4-3 lead.

They added an insurance run in the ninth on consecutive doubles by Mauricio and Nimmo.

José Buttó (3-1), the first of five Mets relievers, retired three batters for the win. Gregory Soto pitched a perfect seventh in his New York debut, and Díaz worked the ninth for his 23rd save.

Senga walked five in five innings. He allowed three runs and four hits.

Key moment

Mauricio shut down a potential Giants rally when he fielded Adames’ slow grounder in front of third base and then quickly reversed direction to tag out Heliot Ramos trying to advance from second.