SAN FRANCISCO — The Mets can learn a lot from the Giants.
Like how to run a pitching-first, big ballpark club.
It all starts with the off-season signings.
San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean found a diamond for one year, $6 million in big Michael Morse, who already has 13 home runs, as many as he hit last year, is hitting .285 and has become a clubhouse leader for the Giants.
Mets GM Sandy Alderson found nothing but disappointment in Chris Young for one year, $7.25 million. Young is hitting .196 with four home runs.
That one signing underscores the way the Giants do business and the way the Mets go about their business. But there’s more.
The Giants won their major-league leading 40th game of the season Friday night when Buster Posey’s two-run home run in the eighth inning off Carlos Torres lifted them to a 4-2 victory over the Mets, who have lost four straight. Posey, the Giants catcher, had three hits, while Mets rookie catcher Travis d’Arnaud (.180) continues to struggle, going hitless and grounding into two double plays.
“I’ve got to be better then this,’’ d’Arnaud said. “This is unacceptable.
The Giants also made an astute signing on the pitching front, grabbing veteran Tim Hudson for two years, $23 million. The Mets signed a veteran pitcher, two years and $20 million for Bartolo Colon. Hudson is 6-2 and has the second-best ERA in the NL at 1.75. Colon is 5-5 with a 4.52 ERA.
Each team essentially spent $29 million for a pitcher and a hitter, but look at the difference.
The Giants recognized something the Mets did not. They realized they had to hit more home runs to support their pitching staff, which is why they gambled on Morse. The Mets gambled on Young because Alderson said he fit the team. Young was benched in favor of Andrew Brown on Friday night.
Sabean & Co. have done a much better job evaluating their team’s weaknesses than Alderson & Co. have done with the Mets. The Giants are not afraid of free swingers and signed Hunter Pence to a five-year, $90 million extension last September. Pence swings at pitches out of the strike zone. He sometimes looks like he’s swinging a stick at a piñata, but he produces runs.
Plus, Pence brings energy, every game and that is something the Mets don’t understand as an organization. They are pretty much lifeless at this point.
Sabean had $148 million to work with while Alderson owns a paltry $83 million payroll, and there is talk the Giants may trade for Phillies second baseman Chase Utley. Sabean and the Giants own two World Series titles in four years. Success means you have to spend money to keep players.
The Mets own two World Series titles in their franchise history.
Last season, the Giants finished 76-86, and the Mets were 74-88. At 40-21, the Giants are running away with the NL West, holding an 8¹/₂ -game lead over the second-place Dodgers and their $240 million payroll.
The Giants are 20-9 at home, the Mets are 13-17 at Citi Field, and the fourth-place Mets (28-33) have won one more game than the Astros.
The Giants have hit 69 home runs already after hitting just 107 last season. They are fourth in the majors in home runs. The Mets are 27th with 43 home runs.
The Mets are fixated on driving up pitch counts.
Daniel Murphy blasted a two-run homer in the seventh off Matt Cain to give the Mets a 2-1, but Jon Niese gave the run back in the bottom of the inning. Then Torres gave up a leadoff walk to ex-Met Angel Pagan in the eighth and two batters later, Posey’s deep drive into the left-center field bleachers.
Mets pitchers have given up the most walks in the NL, 224.
“The one thing I never thought we’d do here is lead the league in walks,’’ Terry Collins said. “Walks are killing us.’’
Posey had been struggling, but the Giants got the big blast when needed. They have found so many ways to win while the Mets have found so many ways to lose.