Giants Drop Five in Third; Jung Hoo Lee Earns His $113 Million Deal

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants erupted for five runs in the third inning against the New York Mets, flipping a one-run deficit into a 6-2 lead and delivering exactly the kind of performance a team with a 47-49 record and playoff ambitions desperately needs.

Jung Hoo Lee was the engine of the rally. His two-run single extended the lead and put the game away early, a reminder of why the Giants handed him a six-year, $113 million contract this offseason. That deal was a bet on contact skills and bat-to-ball ability — and in a high-leverage spot against the Mets, Lee delivered both.

The Giants entered today three games out of the final Wild Card spot. At .245 as a team, San Francisco's offense has been inconsistent all season, which makes a five-run inning feel less like routine and more like a proof of concept. When Lee is contributing at the top of the order, this lineup has teeth.

Every win from here tightens or loosens the Wild Card picture. Today, it tightened it.