Mets ride long ball to win against Giants

NEW YORK -- Rod Barajas' left index finger was aching, so he knew he was limited at the plate.

"I told myself I probably got one good swing," he said. "Once I take that swing, my finger's going to go numb."

So he took that one swing against Sergio Romo with the score tied in the ninth inning, one on and one out.

Did the finger indeed go numb?

"My whole body went numb after it went over the fence," Barajas said.

Barajas and hot-hitting rookie Ike Davis both homered twice, and Davis did a 360 degree flip into the dugout to catch a foul ball in the ninth as the happy-at-home Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 6-4 Friday night for their eighth straight win at Citi Field.

Lefties had been 0 for 17 against Jonathan Sanchez this year coming in, but Davis hit solo drives in the second and fourth innings, connecting on a fastball and a curveball for the first multihomer game of his young big league career.

He combined with Barajas in the second to give New York back-to-back homers for the first time at Citi Field, which opened last year. Davis had noticed the stat about Sanchez and lefties on the scoreboard.

"I thought it was a mistake," Davis said. "That's not even possible."

His catch came with runners at the corners against Pablo Sandoval with two outs in the ninth. Alex Cora helped break Davis' fall in the dugout.

"My biceps are a little sore from holding onto the fence," Davis said.

He made a similar catch against the Chicago Cubs' Jeff Baker on April 21 in Davis' third big league game.

"Most of the time you don't get chances repeatedly like that," Davis said. "I got long arms, I guess."

Davis also started the winning rally, walking with one out against Romo (0-3). Barajas had hurt his finger in the seventh, when Eli Whiteside reached out for a Mike Pelfrey hit-and-run pitchout that wasn't outside enough and whacked Barajas in the mitt for catcher's interference.

Barajas took a ball in the ninth and sent a slider high down the left-field line for his ninth homer this season and 101st of his career. It landed just about where his first home run did, giving the Mets their first game-ending hit this season, their fifth ever at Citi Field.

"Just a hanging breaking ball," Romo said. "Everyone in this league is dangerous if you hang a breaking ball."

Sanchez allowed three home runs for the first time in 72 major league starts, giving up a season-high four runs and seven hits in seven innings.

"Gopher balls got us tonight," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

Francisco Rodriguez (2-0) allowed a tying solo homer to pinch-hitter John Bowker in the ninth. The Giants then put two on -- with second baseman Luis Castillo making a diving stop on Mark DeRosa's infield hit to hold Aaron Rowand at third.

Davis' catch left Sandoval with an 0-for-5 night. He is hitless in 14 consecutive at-bats, dropping his average from .337 to .296.

"He's really pressing," Bochy said. "He's fighting it all a little bit right now."

Jason Bay ended an 0-for-14 slide with a one-hop RBI double to the center-field wall in the first. Davis homered off the right-field overhang with one out in the second and, two pitches later, Barajas made it 3-0. The only others to hit consecutive homers at spacious Citi Field were Philadelphia's Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez on June 9, followed by Arizona's Mark Reynolds and Miguel Montero on Aug. 3, according to STATS LLC.

Pelfrey rebounded from shoulder stiffness when he allowed six runs at Philadelphia last weekend. He gave up three runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. A little tightness remained.

"It's way better than last time," he said.

Game notes
Mets CF Carlos Beltran still has not been cleared by doctors to resume full baseball activities, GM Omar Minaya said. Beltran had right knee surgery Jan. 13 and is wearing a knee brace. ... The Mets are on their longest home winning streak since taking 11 in a row at Shea Stadium from Aug. 5-24, 2006. ... San Francisco stranded four runners on third. ... X-rays on Barajas were negative.