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SAN FRANCISCO — It’s October. Which means we’ve reached that special time of year when Nate Moser — yes, that Nate Moser — turns into the most dangerous man in the National League, and the New York Mets look like they just stumbled into the playoffs on the wrong train.
The San Francisco Giants didn’t just beat the Mets in Game 2 of the NLCS. They swarmed them. They outslugged them. And thanks to Moser’s 3-hit, 2-homer, 3-RBI performance, they now hold a commanding 2-0 lead in the series after an 11-4 victory at Oracle Park.
And here’s your first “wait, what?” stat of the day: Nate Moser finished with 10 total bases in this game. The entire Mets lineup? Also 10. Ten for Nate. Ten for nine guys in gray uniforms. That’s not a fun coincidence for the visitors — that’s a blinking neon warning sign on the way to Citi Field.
Moser Mayhem
Now let’s not pretend this was some record-setting performance. It wasn’t. But it was loud. And it was timely. And it was just the latest reminder that the Giants, who’ve now scored 18 runs in two games, might be building something scary in the Bay.
The turning point came in the third inning — a five-run explosion that started with a Brandon Gargallo double and peaked when Moser obliterated a Ben Navarro cutter for a two-run homer. Then, in the 6th, Moser doubled. Then, in the 8th, he homered again. Because why not?
Nate Moser now has three home runs and nine RBIs in just two games this series. And if you’re wondering whether that’s sustainable? It isn’t. But also: this is October. So it might be.
For the Mets… Trouble Brewing
Let’s talk about the Mets for a second.
Their starting pitcher, Ben Navarro, gave up 11 hits, 9 earned runs, 2 homers, and left with an ERA that now requires scientific notation (11.88). He also walked two and hit absolutely zero bats with deception.
Their defense? Clean. Their offense? Sporadic. Their bullpen? Already overworked.
Look, this team actually had some bright spots — K. Brubaker tripled in two runs in the 8th, A. Grohman doubled in the 6th — but that’s like finding a flashlight after the roof’s caved in.
And just in case you’re keeping score at home, the Mets have now been outscored 18-8, outhit 32-14, and outplayed in just about every category that doesn’t involve foul ball retrieval.
The Weird and the Wonderful
C.J. Rudeseal homered for the second straight game, giving him 3 HRs and 9 RBIs in the series. He's not just hot — he's sizzling bacon on a car hood in August.
R. Grater earned the win with a 6.2-inning effort despite issuing seven walks. That’s the most in a postseason win by a Giants pitcher since… well, ever, because it’s incredibly rare and probably shouldn’t work. But it did!
This marks the first time since 1916 — in our wonderfully fictional league, of course — that the Giants have scored double-digit runs in back-to-back playoff games.
What’s Next?
The series shifts east to Citi Field on Monday. The Mets will be looking for something — anything — to slow down San Francisco’s offense and get back into this thing before it gets away from them completely.
Because here's a fact no New Yorker wants to hear: No team has ever come back from an 0-2 hole in the NLCS when it allowed 18+ runs in the first two games. And even if it weren’t true before… it is now.
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