Mets Split Series with Pirates

July 8, 2024

Coming off a series split with the Nationals the Mets took on the Pirates to help go back to their win streak and get the season back on track, but the Mets split the series and dropped to 44-45 on the year.

In the first game of the series, the Mets had Luis Severino pitching for them and faced off against star rookie Paul Skenes, who was having a great start to his MLB career. Before he faced the Mets Skenes had a 4-0 record, 2.06 ERA, and 70 strikeouts through 52.1 innings pitched. The first 4.5 innings went quite well for the Mets as they had a 2-0 lead thanks to a Jeff McNeil solo homerun and Jose Iglesias fielder’s choice that brought home Alonso but from there on it went downhill for the Mets. In the bottom of the 4th Severino gave up 2 solo home runs to Jack Suwinski and Rowdy Tellez, in the 5th innings the Mets gave up a 2-run homer to Bryan Reynolds. The 6th inning would bring no action but in the 7th that's when the doors opened for the Pirates when Bryan Reynolds hit a grand slam to make the score 8-2 and close out Severino’s night leaving his stat line at 6.0 innings pitched, 7 ER, 9 hits and a 3 K’s. The action for the Pirates would not stop in the 7th innings, in the 8th Yasmani Grandal hit a solo home run, Michael A. Taylor hit another solo home run and Rowdy Tellez would hit a bases-clearing grand slam. After the Mets failed to score in the 9th they would lose the game 14-2. 

In the second game of the series, the Mets snapped their 3-game-losing streak with lefty David Peterson on the mound for the Mets and Bailey Falter on the mound for the Pirates. After 2 innings the score was 0-0 but after Luis Torrens hit a base-clearing double the Mets were up 3-0 in the top of the 3rd. In the bottom of the 4th, the Pirates added their first runs of the day thanks to an O’Neil Cruz 2-run home run to make the score 3-2. The final runs of the day would be scored when Jose Iglesias scored on a double that brought in 1 run and Harrison Bader hit a sacrifice fly to bring in another run. Finally, in the 9th inning after a 10-game suspension, Edwin Diaz came into the game to get the save, and he did pitching 1 inning with 1 K and getting the save. 

As the series was tied 1-1 into the third game of the series the Mets had Sean Manaea on the mound and Luis Ortiz was on the mound for the Pirates. This game was a pitcher-friendly one, Sean Manaea pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 hits, 3 walks, 0 runs, and striking out 6 batters, Luis Ortiz on the other hand pitched 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, 0 walks, and had 5 strikeouts. The game was tied at 0-0 for 7 whole innings and in the top of the 8th, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo doubled to center allowing Lindor to score to put the Mets up 1-0 heading into the bottom of the 8th. In the bottom of the 8th, the Mets blew that lead when Nick Gonzales singled to left field to bring home Andrew McCutchen and Jack Suwinski and grab a 2-1 lead heading into the 9th. In the 9th the Pirates called in Aroldis Chapman who the Mets dominate every time they face him, Chapman is 1-5 with a 6.85 ERA against the Mets which is nowhere near his career 2.60 ERA against the other 29 teams. The start of the innings for the Mets started with an Alvarez walk then a Bader single, then Vientos and Torrens both struck out. With 2 men on and 2 outs, Jose Iglesias was walked to load the bases. The next batter Fransisco Lindor hit a single on a 1-1 slider to bring home Bader and Gamel and put the Mets up 3-2. In the bottom of the 9th Edwin Diaz came in to close out for a second straight day, and he did that, allowing 1 hit, 1 walk, and striking out 1 batter getting his second straight save.

In the final game of the season, the Pirates prevented the Mets from winning the series by beating them 8-2 and splitting the series. The game started well for the Met's pitching and hitting, rookie Christian Scott pitched 5.2 innings, allowing just 1 hit, 2 runs, and striking out 3 batters and Brandon Nimmo smacked a 2-run homerun to center. But after just 78 pitches Christian Scott was pulled with 2 outs left in the 6 inning and put in rookie Eric Orze, and when that happened the game blew up, the Pirates scored 5 runs in the 5th inning. Adrian Houser came to pitch after Orze and he did not help either, allowing 1 run in the bottom of the 8th. The Mets offense would be unproductive the rest of the game leading to the 8-2 loss.

The Mets have now lost 3 of their last 5 games, going 4-4 in the 8-day road trip they just went on, and now 3.5 games back from the last wild card spot. The Mets will now host the Nationals for a 3-game series and the Rockies for another 3 games before going to the All-Star break.