By Jeremy Harness

Joe Panik apparently really likes playing in New York.

Just one day after hitting a home run in helping the Giants take the series opener against the Metsat Citi Field, Panik, a native of the New York area, got the Giants on the right foot again with a two-run homer off Mets fireballer Matt Harvey in another win for the visiting team Wednesday night.

With the fact that rookie Chris Heston fired a no-hitter at the Mets Tuesday night, Wednesday starter Tim Hudson obviously had a tough act to follow.

Hudson lost his own no-hot bid right away, as he gave up a single to outfielder Curtis Granderson to lead off the game. He struggled to get out of the first inning, and Wilmer Flores eventually tied the game with a two-run single.

The Mets scored a run in both the fourth and fifth innings to give themselves a two-run lead, but the Giants teed off on Harvey in the sixth.

Panik led off the inning with a single before Angel Pagan worked the count full against Harvey before drawing a big walk. The next batter, Buster Posey, responded with a double that scored both players. Brandon Belt then launched a two-run homer that gave the Giants the lead, and right fielder Justin Maxwell would add a solo homer to cap a monster five-run inning that catapulted the Giants into the lead for good.

That was enough to give Hudson, who pitched five innings and actually left the game trailing 4-2, his fourth win of the season. From that point, the Giants used five different relievers to hold off the Mets and take the second game of this three-game series.

Meanwhile, the Giants are inching themselves closer to the National League West lead. However, the division-leading Dodgers held off the Arizona Diamondbacks to remain a game in front of the second-place Giants.