Carlos Beltran will fly with SF Giants All-Stars

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-- Carlos Beltran will be taking Air Bochy to Phoenix for the All-Star Game, and along the way he'll mingle with the Giants' All-Star contingent, which includes four pitchers, an entire coaching staff and manager Bruce Bochy.

Beltran and the Mets were at China Basin on Friday night. He had three hits, including a league-leading 27th double, and drove in a run during a decisive ninth-inning rally in the Mets' series-opening 5-2 win over the Giants.

Beltran is among the marquee names in the rumor mill and exactly what the Giants would love - a middle-of-the-order switch-hitter with pop and a willingness to waive his no-trade clause to join a contender.

After Sunday night's series finale, a charter flight will transport the Giants' All-Stars along with Beltran and injured Mets teammate Jose Reyes to Arizona, and who's to know if Beltran is informally recruited at 30,000 feet?

Friday, he strongly hinted he'd pooh-pooh the no-trade clause to approve a deal to the Giants.

"I have made it clear to the organization that the only way I'd accept a deal is if it's to a team that's contending," said Beltran, adding that his focus is helping the Mets, who have won 11 of 16. "Right now, we don't know what the interest of the Giants is."

The interest is high, if Bochy's naming him to the All-Star team (over Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen) is any indication.

New York Mets' pinch hitter Scott Hairston, left, circles the bases after hitting a home run off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Brian Wilson, right, during the ninth inning of their baseball game in San Francisco, Friday, July 8, 2011. less New York Mets' pinch hitter Scott Hairston, left, circles the bases after hitting a home run off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Brian Wilson, right, during the ninth inning of their baseball game in San ... more Photo: Eric Risberg, AP Photo: Eric Risberg, AP Image 1 of / 25 Caption Close Carlos Beltran will fly with SF Giants All-Stars 1 / 25 Back to Gallery

Beltran will be a free agent after the season, and any team that acquires him would pay the prorated amount of his $18.5 million salary, minus anything eaten by the Mets. The contract is too high for the Giants' tastes for now, but every passing day lessens the prorated sum.

A friend of Andres Torres, Jonathan Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval, who extended his hit streak to 19 games, Beltran appreciated the Giants' style of play in their run to the 2010 title, saying, "I think they did an excellent job. That shows you right there, you don't have to have a good lineup to win the World Series. You have to have good pitching."

With the score 2-2 on Friday, Bochy inserted closer Brian Wilson (for a third straight game) to work the ninth, and Wilson threw a full-count cutter to Giants killer Scott Hairston, who hit his 12th career homer against San Francisco, his most against any club. Two batters later, Wilson was replaced by Jeremy Affeldt, who gave up Beltran's RBI single.

"He just made a mistake there," Bochy said. "He just got a ball up. I've seen him three, four days (in a row) and make great pitches. I thought he was fine today, and that's why he was out there."

Ryan Vogelsong's only blemish was center fielder Angel Pagan's two-run homer, but he was down on himself for issuing a season-high five walks and requiring 115 pitches to finish seven innings. "It changes the whole game when you walk guys and have long innings," he said. "I need to be better."

Nate Schierholtz knocked in both Giants runs, one on a home run into McCovey Cove off an R.A. Dickey knuckleball, his first career "splash" hit and third homer in three days.

"It's nothing you can prepare for. Just go up and hack," said Schierholtz, adding he saw five knucklers from Bochy during batting practice. "I fouled one off my foot, and that was the end of that."

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