SAN FRANCISCO — The Mets started the road trip with bats thumping and finished it in similar fashion.
Francisco Lindor carried the heft Wednesday, blasting two homers and driving in four runs in the Mets’ 8-2 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park that snapped a three-game losing streak.
It completed a 3-3 road trip for the Mets, who began with two straight victories over the Dodgers before losing their next three games (in which they combined to score all of three runs).
Lindor, with his 4-for-5 performance, wasn’t alone in boosting the lineup.
Tyrone Taylor, the Mets’ fourth outfielder, went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs to continue his impressive play for the club after arriving last offseason in a trade with the Brewers.
But nobody needed the afternoon more than Lindor, who had again been trending in the wrong direction after appearing to break out against the Dodgers over the first two games of that series.
Lindor, whose two-run blast in the third inning got the Mets started on this day, finished with three homers and eight RBIs on the trip.
In the first two games against the Giants he was 0-for-7 at the plate.
“[Tuesday] it seemed I wasn’t on any pitch, and today it seemed I was on most of the pitches,” Lindor said.
The Mets shortstop noted that he was unhappy with the way he had played defensively the previous game — in not getting to balls that he normally fields — and felt the need to discuss it with confidants.
“Having conversations with guys in the clubhouse, teammates and non-teammates, I just needed to let it out of my system and a lot of guys picked me up,” Lindor said.
Sean Manaea held the Giants scoreless but was hardly efficient in throwing 101 pitches over 4 ²/₃ innings.
The left-hander, who pitched for the Giants last season, allowed four hits and walked four with six strikeouts before Reed Garrett entered to get the final out in the fifth.
Garrett pitched two innings and allowed one run.
Adam Ottavino and Edwin Diaz got the Mets through the final 2 ¹/₃ innings.
Diaz surrendered a run that was unearned in the ninth.
The Giants opted for a bullpen game, with scheduled starter Blake Snell scratched with a left adductor strain and placed on the injured list.
Ryan Walker was recalled from Triple-A and served as the opener.
Lindor jumped on an 0-2 slider from Sean Hjelle in the second inning and just cleared the high wall in right field for a two-run homer.
Lindor’s blast gave the Mets their first lead in the series. Lindor also homered in the ninth, against Mitch White.
“I thought the way [Lindor] controlled the strike zone, especially on that second homer the 2-2 breaking ball that he took was a good sign that he’s not chasing,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We know he can drive the ball to all parts of the field with authority.”
Taylor homered leading off the fourth to extend the Mets’ lead to 3-0.
It was the second homer of the season for Taylor — who started in right field, allowing Starling Marte to DH.
“It’s one of those where I know [Taylor] is going to be ready, but he also is a good player,” Mendoza said. “There’s going to be days where I am tempted to put him in the lineup, but I have to keep him fresh as well. I have to keep that rotation going. He’s going to be a huge part of this team moving forward.”
In the fifth Taylor struck again, smashing a two-RBI double after the Mets had started a rally with two outs.
Pete Alonso singled and Brett Baty walked ahead of Taylor’s shot to right-center.
Jeff McNeil’s ensuing RBI single buried the Giants in a 6-0 hole.
Tyler Fitzgerald homered against Garrett leading off the seventh to end the Mets’ shutout bid. It was the first earned run allowed this season by Garrett, who has emerged as a key piece of the bullpen.
Lindor’s two-run blast in the ninth extended the lead to 8-1.
“Today we were up by six and we still didn’t take our foot off the gas,” Lindor said. “We continued to go.”
