Bochy gets 1,000th win with Giants, Callaway apologizes

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This article was published 04/06/2019 (2348 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEW YORK – Bruce Bochy, reeking of beer after his players doused him during a postgame celebration, sat in the visiting manager’s office at Citi FIeld, a can of Bud Light behind his desk along with bottles of Woodford Reserve double oaked bourbon and 2014 Origines Coudrat from Bordeaux.

“You would think I have a problem, because I look around, and there’s always liquor around,” he said with a smile and a laugh.

Bochy joined John McGraw as the only Giants managers to win 1,000 regular-season games when San Francisco beat the New York Mets 9-3 Tuesday night behind Stephen Vogt’s tiebreaking, two-run double in a six-run 10th inning .

San Francisco tied the score against Seth Lugo in the seventh inning after Mets manager Mickey Callaway removed a furious Noah Syndergaard, and Callaway apologized to his team for a move that backfired.

“That’s one I’d like to have back, maybe let him face one more hitter ,” Callaway said.

No such angst in the Giants’ clubhouse. Players toasted Bochy, and then the staff gathered in the manager’s officer for a second round of tributes. The 64-year-old, who managed the Giants to World Series titles in 2010, ’12 and ’14, said during spring training he will retire after this season.

“This is a year I said I’m going to savour,” he explained. “As you see things coming to an end, your gratitude meter it does get dialed way up.”

Bochy has 1,003 losses during 13 seasons managing San Francisco and is 1,951-1,978 during a 25-year career as a major league manager that started with a dozen years in San Diego. McGraw led the New York Giants to 2,583 wins from 1902-32.

Bochy made his big league debut as a player just a few hundred feet away at Shea Stadium for the Houston Astros on July 19, 1978 — a date he instantly recalled.

“On my ride to the ballpark today, I thought about that,” said Bochy, who played for the Mets in 1982. “This is special place with special memories. For this milestone to happen here, no question that’s pretty special for me.”

On a night that began as a rematch between Syndergaard and Madison Bumgarner of their duel in the 2016 NL wild-card game , Syndgergaard allowed RBI singles in the fourth to Kevin Pillar and Steven Duggar .

Bumgarner, whose four-hit shutout won the wild-card game, had given up three earned runs in 51 career innings at Citi Field before rookie Pete Alonso homered to lead off the sixth, his 20th of the season and Wilson Ramos had a go-ahead, two-run drive .

Syndergaard was removed after 103 pitches, with a runner on first and two outs in the seventh. He muttered to himself, then went to the dugout and stared at the field.

“In the heat of competition and just the will to get out there and complete the inning, I got a little fired up out there and a little frustrated,” Syndergaard said. “But that subsided.”

Evan Longoria singled off Lugo and Brandon Belt had a tying double that hit the right-field wall on a hop. A second run nearly scored, but Longoria was thrown out at the plate.

“As a whole after the game, as a team, Mickey pulled us all together and was kind of remorseful of that decision,” Syndergaard said. “If anything, a man that is knowledgeable about the mistakes he makes is something that gets much more respect in our eyes.”

Robert Gsellman (1-1) floundered in the 10th when he pitched for the fifth time in an eight-day span. Pinch-hitter Tyler Austin singled, Belt walked, Gsellman and bounced a wild pitch. Vogt lined a changeup over leaping a leaping Michael Conforto and off the right-field fence.

Duggar got an RBI double on a comebacker that Gsellman tried to grab with his glove behind his back and rebounded toward shortstop. Pablo Sandoval added a two-run double off Héctor Santiago and Mike Yastrzemski added an RBI single .

Alonso’s home run was lost in the tumult. Only Darryl Strawberry hit more among Mets rookies, 26 in 1983.

“Noah pitched his heart out there today,” Alonso said. “I thought that was a really classy thing by Mickey. He apologized, and now we move forward.”

While Alonso spoke, Bumgarner praised Bochy.

“He is the ultra-competitor for a manager,” Bumgarner said. “He wants to win every game. It don’t matter what the circumstances are, I know he’s never taken an inning off, a game off, a pitch off, nothing. He’s in it to win every time.”

WINNER

Mark Melancon (2-0) pitched a perfect ninth.

BACK IN THE BOOTH

Former Mets star pitcher Ron Darling returned to the SNY broadcast booth for the first time since April 13, following surgery to treat thyroid cancer. “I feel great,” he said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: C Buster Posey missed his third straight game since hurting his right hamstring Saturday and had an MRI that showed a mild strain. … RHP Trevor Gott, who hasn’t pitched since May 24 because of a strained right forearm, remained on the IL, a decision tied to Posey’s injury.

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Mets: 2B Robinson Canó, out since straining his left quadriceps on May 22, said Sunday he would be activated for the homestand opener, but he was not. … McNeil, sidelined since May 21 by a left hamstring injury, was activated from the IL and RHP Tyler Bashlor was optioned to Syracuse (IL). … INF Dominic Smith missed his second straight start after spraining his right thumb during a swing Saturday but flied out as a pinch hitter. … INF Jed Lowrie, out since spring training with a sprained left knee, is “a ways away,” according to Callaway.

UP NEXT

RHP Tyler Beede (0-1, 7.82) starts for the Giants on Tuesday and LHP Jason Vargas (1-3, 4.46) for the Mets.

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